Spice Effect
by Transwarrior666
Summary: From the Great Void, We come... To this place will We abide, We who are the children of Siona and Idaho, Heirs of Shai Hulud and the Atreides Emperors, We who tread the Golden Path, from the realm of visions, where men walk without feet unto eternity and beyond... - A Passage from A Human Poem (Written in Ancient Galach), allegedly recited by Lord Burseg Faradan Shepard, Sardaukar
1. Chapter 1

Mass Effect/Dune Crossover

Mass Effect AU

Post-Chapterhouse Dune

Prequels and Sequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson will not be used.

* * *

><p>From the Great Void, We come...<p>

To this place will We abide, We who are the children of Siona and Idaho, Heirs of Shai Hulud and the Atreides Emperors, We who tread the Golden Path, from the realm of visions, where men walk without feet unto eternity and beyond...

- A Passage from A Human Poem (Written in Ancient Galach), allegedly recited by Lord Burseg Faradan Shepard, Sardaukar-in-Exile, upon meeting the Citadel Council.

* * *

><p>When the humans first revealed themselves to the combined fleets and the remnants of Citadel Space, they seemed to everyone like the Reapers, or more accurately, their opposite, a powerful, secretive race, ancient and wise, from a galaxy very far away, possessing technologies that we could only dream of, but bereft of the desire to destroy.<p>

They were relatively small in number, only a couple of hundred thousands, but their ships... Ah, I will speak of their technology later, but for now, it is sufficient to say that they changed everything.

To some, they were a new potential enemy, but to others, they were our very hope for survival. But for a small few, they were simply an enigma, a glimpse into something terrible beyond the edge of our galaxy.

- Liara T'soni, _Humanity's Golden Path_

* * *

><p>The Asari stared in shock at corpse next to her.<p>

Captain Grevax Farsolas, 1st Captain of the Aras(1) Sanctuary security defense force, fell dead right next to her; half of his head blown off by a stray shot. The stench of the dead Turian soldier's blood and brain matter overpowered her senses, and she emptied the contents of her stomach right then and there on the floor where she lay half buried in rubble.

"Tevura! Hang on! Vero, help her out of there! We'll cover you." The voice came from Faelus Desolas, Tevura thought. He was the nice Turian boy who always gawked at the Asari maidens whenever they went out on patrols, and who had only recently joined the Sanctuary's . Gone was the gentle voice of boyhood. It had been replaced, at least for now, with focused desperation.

Tevura Tsoni winced as the pain filled her entire body, the sounds of screams and death not too far away. She couldn't see anything in the darkness of the tunnel except for the glowing eyes of the Husks coming right towards them. The sound of explosions and fading kinetic barriers filled her ears even as the stench of death and fumes clogged her nose.

Tevura tried to move, to crawl pitifully away from the impending doom of the Reaper's biomechanical pawns, but she could only whimper in agony as she attempted to do. Having your legs crushed and buried under rubble usually does that.

She spat out a curse that was drowned out by the noise of weapons fire and explosions. Today, her home, her life, her friends, her family and everything that she knew had been destroyed in less than three hours.

_Maidens weren't supposed to die this way_, she thought. According to her mother, Liara, they were supposed to "waste their lives pole dancing or running around as would-be explorers and mercs." _Heh, Pole... I would have been an awesome Pole dancer... literally and metaphorically... Great! I'm going to die and my last dying thoughts are about sex. Stay classy Tevura._

Tevura closed her eyes, and tried not to think about how, in a fit of boredom, she had wished that Aras would be attacked just ten months ago, because then she and her friends could leave the refugee bunkers hidden underneath the planet's surface and make a difference in the galaxy for a change. Dreams of glory and courage filled her then foolish 40 year old head, as well as those of her friends, only a few months ago. If they were out there in the Galaxy, why they would have slaughtered the Reapers and all their minions. The Citadel Council were obviously idiots for letting their best warriors languish here in Aras instead of fighting out there among warriors, like her parents, Captain Liara Tsoni, the Slayer of Harbinger, and Spectre Garrus Vakarian, Hero of Great Battle for the Citadel. She dreamed of living up to their legacy, to be the heroine that the galaxy needed, to command armies and star ships, and most of all, to fight the hated Reapers. Teruva Tsoni, the Asari Champion, and at her side, Vero'Forah , the cunning hero of the Quarian people, Wux, the mighty Krogan Berzerker, and Dear Sweet, Faelus Desolas... such a nice Turian.

Together, they would strike down the evil machines and restore the Citadel to its former glory.

_Well,_ _you got your wish, idiot! You're now about to die before the Reapers, you and all your super-hero friends, here in lovely, beautiful Aras. Congratulations. Wish granted. _

Prior to the Reaper invasion, Aras had been a barely explored, barely habitable hell hole in the middle of nowhere, with an icy surface and depressing landscape. No one wanted it, and save for a few probes and exploration missions, no one visited the planet's surface either. It had very little eezo deposits, almost no useful minerals, a hostile atmosphere, next to no fertility and worse of all, it had been located close to a sector that was known to have been a Pirate's Nest.

Mining ventures as well as colonization efforts had been considered over the years for Aras, but projections on the probable Return On Investments from either mining or settling the planet was simply too unrewarding for even the most desperate mining conglomerates in the galactic community. Not even smugglers wanted it.

And so Aras was left to rot, a cold ball of nothing... that is until the Reapers arrived.

As the war became more desperate for the Citadel Council, their strategy turned from "active engagement" to "strategic defense and containment," a euphemism which basically meant that they were losing. For despite the sacrifice of Specter Garrus Vakarian and the destruction of more than half of the Invading Reaper Fleet in the legendary Battle for the Citadel, they were still badly outnumbered and outgunned.

A Fabian strategy of guerrilla warfare and asymmetrical combat was soon carried out by the remnants of the Galaxy's races against the Reapers. Combining all of their military assets, the remnants of the Citadel Council, and even those not affiliated with them, formed the Combined Fleets. These fleets were basically a ragtag collection of ships from whatever the remnants could scrounge up.

This change in strategy was also followed by the creation of "Sanctuaries" for the Citadel's remaining civilian population. These sanctuaries were originally built close to military instillation as well as in star systems, where major fleets were still available.

However, after the destruction of all the major worlds of the Citadel Races, and the subsequent exodus of most their survivors, many of the existing sanctuaries could not absorb the influx of so many refugees, and new installations had to be installed. But with most of the Citadel's military assets dwindling, and the war turning into vicious blood bath, the new Sanctuaries had to be built in such a way that they could thrive and survive isolated from military protection and most the rest of galaxies.

These new Sanctuaries were based on ancient Prothean models, complete with cryostasis pods, a self-sustaining geo-thermal power source and stealth generators. If worse came to worse, the inhabitants of these Sanctuaries will be able to go into suspended animations, to wait out the holocaust of the present cycle. Should the Combined Fleets and Armies of the Citadel fall before the Reapers, they would become the last of their kinds - the last fading hope for the organics of this cycle.

Needless to say, Aras was the perfect planet to house a Sanctuary. Soon Three ships equipped with the latest Salarian stealth technology were sent to the planet, and within a span of a year, they built a medium sized Sanctuary inside the planet with enough facilities and food production to support a population of several thousands of refugees. Soon after completion, the first batch of refugees arrived, and among them was the daughter of Liara Tsoni. Aras was to be her new home, along with six thousand refugees from all of the known races in the galaxy.

Over the course of 5 decades, Aras' population would steadily grow three times its original size. Life was difficult in the Sanctuaries. All inhabitants were restricted inside, forbidden from ever leaving their home lest they draw the attention of the Reaper fleets. Work was hard, the food always rationed, but they survived, these last pitiful band of survivors. They survived against all odds.

Some went insane from their ordeals. Others went into voluntary suspended hibernation, abandoning any hope that the wider galaxy could triumph over the pitiless machines. But they survived. Beneath the surface of Aras, thousands of refugees prayed that those who still fought among the stars will not perish, and that some day, they might emerge from the darkness back into the bright shining light of life without the fear of extinction. But their gods and ancestors did not answer them.

And so they remained in Aras, in shadow and fear. This barely habitable rock had become one of the last remaining bastions of sapient life left in the galaxy...

At least until about a month ago, when several anomalous gravity wells began to appear inside Aras' star system. The stealth probes couldn't identify the nature of the anomalies, and Aras' science team didn't know what to make of these phenomenon.

Unfortunately, Aras' stealth probes were not the only ones that detected the anomalies. After about a week since their appearance, two Reaper ships entered into the system, looking here and there for the source of the anomaly. They couldn't find it, but after days of searching, they found something else: The Sanctuary.

It took the two Reapers, and their reinforcements, a little over a week to reduce Aras' population from 15,300 to 260. Thankfully, Some of the inhabitants managed to escape to their evacuation ships, cleverly hidden in various underground bunkers all over Aras, but a large portion of the Sanctuary's population also didn't make it out. Aras would become their tombs.

When evacuation protocols were initiated, Tevura, her friends and several other younger members had volunteered to act as rearguards for most of Sanctuary's inhabitants to flee from Reaper devastation. The security forces were slaughtered in the battle, but they succeeded. They helped the innocent and the helpless flee... even as they perished in their defense.

"You're gonna be okay!" Vero's distinctive Quarian voice filled her ears, as her hands fought to free her from the fallen rubble. Tevura yelled at Vero to escape, to save herself, but she couldn't even hear the sound of her own voice.

More explosions erupted around her, and Tevura knew then that the end had come. Soon enough, the main body of Reapers would break through the tunnel and crush all that was left of her friends and family. But something else happened. A strange sound erupted from somewhere outside the tunnels, like the voice of a dying a tortured Krogan. It was soon followed by several rays of bluish light emerging from several unidentified sources. The lights punctured through the husks cutting them down like chaff.

The remaining husks in the tunnels soon turned to engage the new interlopers only to be cut down themselves by the rays of bluish light. Soon, strange figures emerged from the darkness beyond the tunnels, moving about with impossible speed, some of which engaged the husks with long knives and even swords.

After a brief fight, Tevura leaned closer to see that most of the husks had been destroyed, and in their place, stood several asaroid shapes. She blinked her eyes once to see more clearly, but couldn't focus on the details on their features. At first, she thought that they were Asari, but upon closer examination, it became obvious that they were not. In fact, they didn't look like any race she had heard of. Drell perhaps? No. There was something unnatural about them. If she wasn't half buried under so much rubble, and suffering from blood loss, she would have been able to clearly see their actual features, but as things are now, they just seemed like strange looking creatures.

Tevura saw the last of the Husks, a hulking Brute flanked by two Cannibals, rush one of the unidentified beings - possibly one of their leaders. The creature appeared to be covered with some kind of organic armor, and armed with a glowing blade. Instead of retreating back to its companions, the creature moved with incredible speed, first ripping off the head of one of the Cannibals, and then perforating the second Cannibal's head with an upward thrust through the jaw. It was over in just two heartbeats.

The Brute, however, was able to land a powerful blow on the creature's torso. The creature flew back like a ragdoll, but quickly spun off the floor and attacked the Brute with a furious charge. Again, came the blinding speed, and the creature threw a jab at the Brute that cracked the Turian shaped casing of its face, before impaling it with his sword. He did this with such speed that it was over in a little less than a second.

To make sure that she was not imagining things, she turned to her companions to make sure that they saw what she saw. They were, and like her, they were staring in shock at the creatures that stood before them.

She strained to have a closer look, but something inside her burst, and she began to lose consciousness.

* * *

><p>Stravan Hackett was angry. His synth-trout carapace armor (2) had been damaged by that giant Husk. His armor! Damaged by a Husk, when it had endured attacks from much worse. Three Synth Trouts fell off the area on his torso where the Brute had struck him, while those next to them were slowly peeling away. <em>It was a little painful<em>. Synth trout carapace were not supposed to get damaged like that, which meant that those fools who managed the synth trout colonies in the _Brazil_ were not taking care of them properly, he thought with anger. He hissed as he peeled off another dead synth trout off his chest.

_Someone is going to be doing latrine duty for a year because of this mess, _he thought.

Synth-Trouts or Synthetic Trouts are the artificially produced cousins of sand trouts. Unlike ordinary sand trouts, however, they didn't grow into giant sand worms, nor did they produce any spice. They were just little creatures that liked to bury in the sand and trap water. Like their sand trout cousins, however, they can be attached onto the human skin to form a powerful and highly durable exoskeleton (much like the one used by the Tyrant Worm prior to his ascension). All it required was the proper manipulation of certain hormones and chemicals within the human body, which most humans in the Scattering were perfectly proficient at.

This batch of Synth Trouts, however...

_You were lucky. You shouldn't have underestimated that synthetic abomination. You were careless, incompetent_, he thought with a great deal of self-criticism.

"Where's my wife?" Hackett snarled as he emerged from the hole in the tunnel, leaving his men and some of the Xeno survivors still inside. Gods curse this wretched icy hell hole, he thought as stomped through Aras' cold surface. "Kasia! Kasia!"

He grabbed one of his men, a young mentat of 30 by his looks. He wore the same Synth Trout Armor that he wore, just like the rest of his men. "Where's the Witch?"

"Sorry Milord. The Lady Shepard is inspecting some of the Xeno Structures. Maybe she's still there." The young mentat then saluted and left quickly.

"Dammit! Gods Below that was close," Hackett sighed as he deactivated Disruptor Blade, an elegantly decorated Shamshir covered by a Disruptor field, and sheathed it into his scabbard. Disruptor fields were originally designed to dissipate Holtzman fields found on most body shields, but they were also quite effective at simply tearing things apart.

He sat down on the remains of wrecked Ravager and tried to catch his breath. Stravan Hackett looked liked an old man, but then so did most mentats, even the young ones. A scar was on one of his checks, and his weathered face showed the burdens and trials of a lifetime of struggle and fighting. His pale skin and white hair were sharply contrasted by the dark color of his synth trout carapace armor. He rubbed some of the stress and pain off his neck before allowing himself a few seconds worth of deep breath relaxation.  
><em><br>Gods Below, that was too close! _He thought once more.

"I told you to wear your shield," a woman from behind him said, and by the tone of her voice, it was clear that she fully aware of what he was thinking based only on a few subtle clues.

"Dammit Witch! I told you not to sneak up on me like that," he snarled at the Bene Gesserit Witch who stood behind him."

"How many have we saved?" The woman asked without bothering to indulge his frayed nerves. Her voice was kind and very feminine, the kind of voice that placated kings and gentled conquerors, but her face was a bit unsettling. Unkempt red hair, with lines of grey - The hair of a Witch. Her eyes were blue within blue, and face that bore an elegant and patrician shape, though slightly sagging from age. Under any other circumstances, Kasia would appear like an ordinary Bene Gesserit witch, but her mannerism, however, were completely unsettling. There was something wild about her - laughing and mocking, a sort of ridiculing tendency not normally found among the Bene Gesserit.

"A little over two hundred," responded Stravan, too tired to make trouble.

"And what of Kasumi?"

"Your pet face dancer is safe. She's waiting for you in one of the shuttles. She has the Xeno artifact."

"Good. Good. Let us retreat back to the shuttles before the Machines return."

Hackett gave a hand signal to one of his subordinates, and the retreat immediately went underway. He then turned back to Kasia. "Do you think the artifact is really what the Cerberii claim it to be?"

A smile emerged on Kasia Shepard's face, and strange spark came to her eyes. This was her face whenever she plotted her constant pranks.

"I have no patience for your tricks today, witch! A yes or no would suffice."

Shepard chuckled and looked to the hole where the xeno survivors were being evacuated. Blue creatures, hulking lizard creatures, elephant like giants, little lizard things, weird looking avian aliens... _So much variety_, she thought.

"We will discuss the artifact and the Cerberii later my beloved husband. For now, let us enjoy our very own First Contact," she said without taking her eyes off the procession of xeno refugees, who were gawking at her and most of their men. Some looked like they were protesting, others were whimpering, but most simply looked scared. They clearly did not wish to go along with the strange creatures, but the alternative was to stay in a planet that was being attacked by Reapers.

Hackett thoughtfully touched the hole on his armor again, and decided to change the subject. "What are you planning Kasia? Really? Why the Xenos?"

"Why the Xenos? Oh, you know. I just felt like it. That's all!"

This was too much. "You and I know what will happen when our _fleet _finds out that you rescued these Xenos. The Sardaukar will be furious and there's no telling what the Cerberii will do. Even some of my own mentats are complaining about your orders."

"If you'll recall correctly, Stravan, the senior officers of the Brazil voted on rescuing the Xenos. We have consensus on our side, so there's no need to worry."

"Some of the the crew and junior officers disagree."

_Ah! So that's what he's worried about. _"They think that the _Bene Gesserit Witch _has manipulated their leaders. The vile Witch with her wiles and tricks? Ehehehehehehe?" She cackled as she rubbed her hands together in the caricature image of a plotting Bene Gesserit.

Hackett did not take the bait. "I am concerned about the morale and opinions of our crew and allies. They will question your motives. You know that very well."

"Are those the words of a focused mentat? Or are they the mewlings of a neurotic old man?" The rebuke was spoken with a small tint of Voice, and a great deal of sarcasm.

"Our interference here is unnecessary, at best, and dangerous at worst," Hackett snapped. "We came here to rescue your Face Dancer. She is safe. We should not complicate our situation by exposing ourselves to unnecessary dangers."

"These Xenos are dangerous?"

"To bring them to one of our ship is VERY dangerous, and that is a prime projection of approximate certainty." Hackett saw the Bene Gesserit's face frown. She hated it when he used Mentat-isms, which is why he used them often. "They will divide our crew and our allies, cause friction. You know that. Half of them want to reveal ourselves to the Xenos, while the other half want to keep our existence a secret. Look Kasia, I know the potential rewards of learning more about the inhabitants of this galaxy, but our current situation is both dangerous and volatile."

"Danger and Volatility is the essence of the Golden Path, my dear Mentat, an eternity of surprises, remember?" The Bene Gesserit answered, but the meaning of her words cut deep. It was meant to rebuke Hackett, to remind him that humanity's survival was based on the paradoxical need to confront the unknown, to seek danger. This, Hackett understood all too easily, a lesson that most of humanity had learned from Leto's Peace, but the Mentat in him knew and understood other lessons as well. Witches were not the only ones who saw the terrors and beauty of the Scattering after all.

"There are many kinds of dangers, many kinds of paths." Hackett answered, an obvious taunt.

"And the safest ones lead to destruction..." The Witch answered, refusing to play his word games. All humans know these lessons in the very depths of their being, wherever they are; whatever they may have become.

"Dangerous ones sometimes lead to the same ends as well," the Mentat retorted, and his normally harsh face softened, "Please Kasia. I just want to know what you're planning. How do we benefit by saving these Xenos?"

Shepard's Blue in Blue eyes stared at him with a poise and self-control that was rare for her. "We came to this Galaxy seeking many things, each one of us, _husband_," she spoke the word tenderly. "But we are interlopers. If we are to settle here then we must get acquainted with our neighbors."

"Your neighbors are being exterminated by the Machines." He left his true statement unspoken: _This galaxy is an Abattoir_. _Let the Cerberii have it if they wish, but we and Sardaukar should go back to the Scattering_, _back among other humans, even the dangerous and evil ones. I do not wish to be among Xenos... _

Kasia gently caressed her husband's face and spoke in a gentle tone. "We cannot escape from everything that makes us uneasy, Stravan. Infinity is our birthright, remember? The Scher Nbiw," she said simply, the meaning of her words clear enough. Then, her face lit up, and her tone changed. "Also, because one of the aliens have two pairs of testicles. I want to see what their genitals look like." The implied infidelity quickly shattered whatever atmosphere of tenderness existed before.

Stravan's wrathful glare returned and he quickly got up and tried to go back to his men, before turning around and snarling at Kasia with a look of uncertainty on his face. "Please tell me that you didn't have us go through all this trouble just so you could observe the genitals of a bunch of aliens!"

"Of course not! I also plan to dissect them," she said with a dimpled smile.

Stravan shook his head in surrender. "I give up. You can't argue with a Witch. All I ask is that you tell me your plan when the time comes."

Kasia looked at her husband as he walked away back to his men. _Silly old fool, _she thought with some tenderness. _Of course, I'm plotting something. But the Xenos are simply a distraction. The chaos that they will cause among our allies and crew will buy us precious time, especially against the Cerberii... and then, we'll see.  
><em>  
>"And besides," she said to herself, "I really want to meet the neighbors."<p>

* * *

><p>1 - Aras is 2181 Arion in Mass Effect, a planet located in the Psi Tophet System, the same system that is home to 2181 Despoina (Cuttlefish Land).<p>

2 - In God Emperor of Dune, Leto II, attached sand trout on his skin, and they formed into a complex exoskeleton that gave him super speed, super strength as well as protection from poisons, projectiles and even Las Guns. The Synth-Skins here are cheap knockoffs of that armor.


	2. Chapter 2

_Q: Will Mary and Daniel appear as well?_

_An: Bwahahahahahahahahahahah. Hand Rubbing Intensifies. You and I know what those things are._

* * *

><p>More Reviews plox. KThanxBai<p>

* * *

><p><em>What Will You Find in Infinity?<em>

_Every Good, Every Evil. _

_Any God, Any Devil._

_- An Excerpt from "An Ode to the Scher Nbiw."_

* * *

><p><em>The Reapers Are Coming! <em>

_The Reapers Are Coming!_

_You Better Start Running Or They'll Know Where You're Hiding!_

_First They'll Sing!_

_And Then They'll Twirl!_

_But Most of All, They'll Get The Naughty Girl! _

_- An Asari Nursery Rhyme (Banned by the Combined Citadel Fleets to preserve morale among Citadel refugee populations)_

* * *

><p><em>The Sardauka-in-Exile, an Imperial Army without Emperor or an Empire<em>, Faradan Shepard's thoughts came without him willing it... _but not without purpose. _

The act of meditation is a profound one, for it shows you that you cannot control your thoughts, and more importantly, that _you_ cannot control anything. You can only become _aware. _and it is this act of awareness that will liberate you. This was a lesson that most children and students of the Bene Gesserit learned at a very early age. How profound your experiences are then, in knowing that certain revelations can only come to you instead of you to it.

_Sardaukar-in-Exile_, Faradan thought again. He was a Sardaukar-in-Exile, a revivalist group that sprung up among the numerous factions of humanity in the Scattering. He and his brothers sought to revive the old Sardaukar Legions of the old Imperium, warriors who had been lost during the age of Leto II, the Tyrant Worm. They, his brothers and he, will recreate the old Imperial ideal, House Corrino and the Lansdraad. They will bring back what has been lost In other words, they sought to revive the past in the present.

_Humanity must be finite again._ _Better to be in a prison, safe and warm, than out there, in the infinite Void. _This was a yearning in almost every human's heart, but only the revivalists listened to them. For the rest of humanity, the Scattering was the Scattering, and there was nothing more to say about it. _Let us spread out further. Infinity and more.  
><em>

Most humans in the Scattering considered the revivalists to be foolish because of this, and they were right to think so. There was something atavistic in these groups. They represented a yearning to go back, of wishing that the Golden Path had never been. They represented a portion of the human instinct which cowered before the impersonal, pitilessness of infinity.

But the Sardaukar-in-Exile, and those like them, refused. _We refuse. We yearn to go back, and if we cannot go back then we will create something like the Old Imperium. Yes, that's it! We will recreate the old ways in some unclaimed galaxy, away from Humanity - Away from the Gods and Demons that we have become. _

Faradan kept his eyes closed even as his thoughts refused to calm down. He and his brothers were a paradox. They were revolutionaries who kept insisting that they were reactionaries. It is a strange identity they fostered.

If the Tyrant still lingered in some afterlife somewhere, or inside the great sandworms, as legends speak, then he would laugh at such thoughts. _No one can escape my Golden Path! The more you attempt to recreate the past, the more you forge new things. Learn this well, Sardaukar-in-Exile!_

Lord Burseg Faradan Shepard steadied his mind once more and focused on his breath. _It was just a though. Just a passing thought but then this is also a thought_, he thought. And thoughts lead to imaginations.

Meditation, such as what he was doing now, is never easy at the beginning, for it required the clearing away of shallow thoughts and concerns, but Shepard knew how to deal with these thanks to the training of his mother, Kasia Shepard.

_Ten deep breaths, ten shallow. Cast your mind into the void. No Life, No Death. No God, No Devil. Just here and Now. _

Soon, after what seemed like hours, Faradan Shepard's mind was at peace, and his own prescient thoughts took over. For those who possess the gift of prescience (and practically almost all humans in the Scattering possessed them to some degree), meditation was a path to both wisdom and knowledge. Shepard's own prescient powers, though certainly nothing like the Kwisatz Haderach, the Tyrant or the Guild Navigators, was still potent enough to guide him through difficult moments in his life.

After the destruction of Leto's Empire and the start of the Scattering, a great many things happened to humanity and great many changes as well. Among these was the rapid spread of the Prescient gene, the blood of the Kwisatz Haderach. Through this bloodline, many of humanity's other bloodlines achieved the power of prescience in one form or another. Though not as powerful as those of the Atreides, they were nonetheless potent enough to glimpse through the mists of time and space, to see not only the tendrils of the Golden Path, but also the mysteries and darkness lurking within the shadows of the galaxy.

It was rare for most humans to consult their prescient talents, for prescience offers both blessings and curses. Faradan knew the dangers, as all humans knew them. Predict the future, and you become trapped by it. Create reality, and you cut yourself off from the universe. Do not trap yourself. Embrace the Golden Path, the Scher Nbiw, but there were always these temptations.

Faradan glimpsed the past and the future. The past became like a pattern for him, a sequence of events that flowed in lucid shapes and forms. These patterns flowed of their own volition, and he flowed with them. It is in these moments, that he like he was swimming, that his prescient powers were extensions of much deeper powers.

He flowed, and flowed, and flowed.

Colors and sounds came to him. At first, they were human, familiar and ancient. He remembered faces and planets that he had visited as a child, and then others that were not. Flowing. Flowing. Flowing. More sights and sounds. Soon, he glimpsed other things as well: Ships, human ships, flowing about in the nether, alive and eternal. They flowed with the Golden Path, and he glimpsed them even though he was in a strange new galaxy.

_This galaxy! _

The vision changed slowly, and soon the vision that wanted came to him. The humanity of his previous vision was replaced by other creatures - Aliens. Aliens from long ago and aliens that lived now - in this galaxy. They were like ghostly images, shapes hidden like smoke. _Prothean, Innusanon, Zeioph, Oravores, Arthenn, Leviathan... _

He saw their planets and their territories - pathetic little empires in this small little galaxy. Faradan saw how they lived and how they conquered. He saw their joys and sorrows, their suffering and raptures, their honor and their vanity. He also saw their rise and their... fall. _There was something unusual here_, he thought, _I sense a pattern - a great darkness.  
><em>

Soon, the prescient vision gave way to a terrible sight: Images of aliens being torn asunder, their flesh devoured by machines. Their bodies impaled upon great metallic spikes. Their tissue melted down and remade into shambling machines of flesh and metal.

His cell stamped ancestors screamed at him a great and ancient warning: _These are Machine Intelligence! Beware Them. _

Their warning was pointless. The slaughter continue - one specie at a time. Faradan heard their screams, roars, whimpers, curses of defiance and groans of misery. These sounds coalesced into a single song, a song of death and destruction.

The Great Machines, the Ancient Machines, destroyed and devoured the aliens, rendered their planets aflame. Faradan stared into this vision, a little insect in a orgy of destruction. He had seen this vision before. This was nothing new for him, but he sought other things too, more answers, more clues.

_Why this slaughter? Why do the machines take the organics instead of simply exterminating them? Why this recurring cycle? _Faradan demanded answers, and so he kept his vision, though his mind and body were straining from the effort. This was a dangerous thing he doing.

He kept his vision, and he saw more than what he had bargained. He saw many things, but very few of them offered the answers he sought. More screams. More blood. More fire and ruin. More doom and destruction. It was repeating again and again, always the same. Faradan was thankful that his prescient powers were not very strong, for to see such visions with clarity could very well render him mad.

Soon, the image gave way and he saw only the Machines, malevolent and pitiless, floating in space - in dormition. He watched them as a prey watched a terrible predator, watching how it acts.

Faradan had done this before, and so he learned to be patient. He watched the machines in his vision, hoping to find some weakness, some kind of answer to what they are, and why they act, but these yearnings were interrupted by a sudden interference.

It was powerful.

_I see you..._

_Did it just address me_? Faradan thought

_How is this possible? What are you? _The presence demanded.

Lord Burseg Faradan Shepard tried to ignore the strange voice within the vision, and he hurriedly tried to return back to his surface thoughts. _Flee from the depths! It has found you!_

_Where are you from? Why did you come here?_

Shepard calmed his breathing and recited the litany against fear.

_You are not infant race nor of this galaxy. No, you and your kind are from someplace else... Outside... Beyond... _

_WHAT ARE YOU! _

Shepard felt a powerful threat there, and once more, he saw countless Xeno worlds burning, their ashes and corpses harvested into ships. They screamed as one voice, a terrifying, beautiful music of death. Bloody images of a charnel house...

_How is it possible that you and I see each other in this manner? What manner of technology is this? What sort of power is this? Answer me! What are you? Wait! How did you do that? That's impossible! This is... WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT AR..._

The presence would not relent, and so Faradan decided to answer it with something vague.

"We walk the Golden Path, the Scher Nbiw," Shepard whispered to placate the creature. He felt its thoughts like a boulder upon his chest, his vision wavering from the being's wrath. "We are humanity. We are the heirs of the God Em-pe... ror."

The voice became quiet for a long time, pondering the meaning behind his words, then it spoke again. _I am the Catalyst. I am the living hope of this galaxy, of organics and synthetics. But you, you are something else, you and your kind. We will speak again, human of the Golden Path... _

The creature known as the Catalyst then departed, leaving Shepard to his visions. When he opened his eyes, he discovered that he was sweating heavily inside his elaborately decorated Sardaukar plate armor, his reddish-blond hair covered with sweat, and his hands clenched in a painful fist, with his nails biting into the flesh. He was also shaking uncontrollably, with his head feeling like it had been smashed by a sledgehammer. To alleviate the pain, he began to calm his nerves by using the prana bindu exercises taught to him by his mother.

Several minutes passed before he regained his senses, and he needed a little less than an hour to feel normal again.

_Catalyst. What was that thing? That never happened before... _

_Was that creature the Intelligence that animated the machines? If so, how did it find me? Prescience? Not likely. It seemed surprised at my intrusion. I wonder if the others have experienced the same thing as well?  
><em>

This experience had been intense, dangerous even. Faradan would have to report this immediately, to his superiors, to his mother...

"Faradan," Shepard was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on his door. From the other side, came the voice of his sister, Britney, 14 years old.

"Yes Britney?" Britney Hackett was an intelligent girl with dark hair, a flat face, a curvy body and a subtle sense of humor, one of Shepard's six half sisters by his mother. The others were Putin, Courtney, Horny, Pinkie Pie and Osama. Shepard often asked his mother, Kasia, why she gave her daughters such exotic names, and the origins of such names in ancient human histories. She never did answer him. Instead, she would just cackle in laughter and turn away.

The girls didn't know the origins of their names either. But some day, far into the future, when they undergo the trials that would turn them into Reverend Mothers, and thus peer into the earliest histories of man, they will discover the origins of their names, and they will cry out in horror at what their mother had done to them.

"Mother and Father have just transmitted a message. They have returned to the _Brazil_, and have left the star system known as Aras. They folded space 13 standard hours ago."

"They also brought some of the Xenos with them," a short chirp voice said. This time, the voice came from the 13 year old Pinkie Pie, a short bronze haired girl with a body that had the tendency to grow plump. She was Faradan's favorite sister.

This gave pause to Faradan, and a deep sense of anger flowed through him.

_Damn that witch! What she did was very dangerous! _He then paused to consider the situation carefully_... but also potentially rewarding. _Yes, the Xenos could be used as very useful leverage, and the suggestion had been brought up before by several ranking members of the fleets, including his commanding officer High Bashar Javid And'rson, but he never imagined that she would actually go through with it. _Damn that witch!_

But wait, how did she manage to manipulate the crew of the Brazil, including her husband, Faradan's step father, Stravan Hackett, to go along with her plan?

_Oh, who are you kidding, Farada. She's a Bene Gesserit witch. You shouldn't even ask that question! They always find a way._

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and began to dress grab his coat from his elaborately decorated cabinet.

"Pinkie, how many did she save?"

"I don't know for sure," Pinkie said at the other end of door, "but Father said that the planet was attacked by the Machines. Mother only managed to save a few of the survivors. Though as to the exact number, I don't know."

_The Machines!_ Dread entered into Faradan, and he remembered his vision, _The Catalyst!_

"The Machines?" The two words was uttered like a commanding question: _Were they safe?_

"Yes, Father's No-Ship managed to destroy one of the two Machines, while the other one escaped, probably to call their friends. No one was harmed inside the Brazil. We took them by surprise."

"Kasumi?"

"Mother didn't say."

Shepard tried to calm his anger and focus his thoughts, but it was not easy. First, an unknown entity calling itself Catalyst intruded into his vision, and now his insane witch mother was collecting xenos. He was not having a good day. "Okay, Britney, call Jester and Vega, and tell them to get to the command center. Tell them about the... No, I'll tell them. Just tell them to get to the Command Center. Pinkie Pie, contact Marandi on a secure channel and tell her what happened... Do it in one of the smaller terminals, and make sure you're not followed as you do so. And girls not a word of this to anyone, especially to the Mentats, okay?" They left without saying anything. They were the daughters of a Bene Gesserit, and knew the importance of secrets.

Shepard changed his pants and combed his reddish golden hair back. He looked into the mirror to make sure that his face betrayed none of his worries, before tying his ceremonial jackboots. An elegant, angular face stared back at him with Green eyes, Aquiline nose and a firm chin. One Bene Gesserit in the Scattering once said that he resembled a younger version of Shaddam Corrino IV. Faradan wasn't sure if that comment had been a complement or an insult.

After he finished making sure that his face and hair betrayed none of his worries or thoughts, Faradan then strapped on a static-charged monomolecular long knife into the left side of his belt, and the personal penta-shield projector onto his right. Finally, he then attached his assault gauntlets onto his hands, and hid a few poisoned needles into one of his fake skin.

Once finished, Shepard tried to focus his thoughts, to work on the tasks at hand, but despite all his Bene Gesserit training all he could remember was the blinding madness that came from the creature that called itself the Catalyst.


	3. Chapter 3

My Lord Wreav, I say this with the utmost respect for you and your station: You wouldn't last a day in the Scattering...

Lord Mentat Dunal Udina to Clan Leader Urdnot Wreav

* * *

><p>They're nomads!<p>

The humans are nomads. From what we've gathered about their so-called "Scattering," humans don't have a fixed state or territory. Most of them prefer to remain in their enormously giant ships, to wander the emptiness of the void, to go from galaxy to galaxy, universe to universe. It's hard to imagine, but this seemingly powerful extra-galactic race are intentional wanderers, eschewing fixed systems and territories, much like the Quarian Fleet before the coming of the Reapers. The only difference is that they actually think that being wanderers is a good thing.

If what they say about their technology and this "Golden Path" is true then I shudder to think about the full extent of human presence beyond our galaxy.

How does one inhabit infinity?

Intercepted Message from Commander Liara Tsoni to Supreme Commander Adrien Victus

* * *

><p>Kasia,<p>

You bitch! I know it was you. So don't even try to deny it. Ashla is not very inventive with her pranks and Kelis prefers loud explosions. You're the only one among us who likes messy traps, so yes, I know it was you. This mess in my quarters has your grubby little sense of humor written all over it. Did you know how long it took me and my acolyte daughters to wipe away the smell?

You owe me a new aba robe, sister, until I can get rid of the slig stains left behind by your little friend. And what in the name of the Tyrant did you do to my Chairdog? Krona smells like Tielaxu crap. I'm gonna get you back good when you return Kas. Mark my words, a Bene Gesserit always keeps her promises. I'm gonna get you back good, you red haired skank.

Ah, but seriously, though, you did well with your prank, and I understand why you did it. I do deserve a good pranking with my latest un-Bene Gesserit behavior (Ha! The irony!) I have to admit that I've been a little too focused of late, but it's only because I find all this new information fascinating. Yes, yes. I know _undue focus leads to specialization, specialization leads to a self-contradicting view of life. _Yes, I remember the teachings of our Revenrend Mother proctors, so don't remind me when you get back... you bitch.

Ah, but enough of that.

I want you to know that I've finished compiling all of the data we've had over the past few months since our arrival to this galaxy. It wasn't easy, but I managed to piece together most of our intel, and have compiled a 715 page manual for our Mentat allies and our _"Sardaukar" _vassals. No doubt, they will find the information valuable for when we move to the next phases of our agendas.

The manual requires additional editing, but for now, I wish to provide you with the first copy, along with a few notes for your eyes only. Yes, I know that this is very un-Bene Gesserit like behavior, but indulge me. I have my reasons for sending you these reports.

Most of the notes are attached to this message, but the rest, along with the manual and most of the raw daw are on a separate Ridulian cube. Kas, I know you don't like reading lengthy documents, but this is important, so at least try to remember that you're a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother.

As always, these notes are for your eyes only. So be sure to destroy everything when you're done.

* * *

><p>Preliminary analysis of all available data concerning this galaxy has been completed with tremendous success. However, despite our gains, it's important that we never forget that it was the Cerberii and their mysterious leader, the Illusive One, that invited us, our Sardaukar and the Mentats to this galaxy. Consequently, most of what we know about this galaxy, it's inhabitants, their history, their wars and, of course, the Reapers come from the Cerberii themselves.<p>

Whether or not our theories about the origins of the Cerberii are correct, it is clear that they have an agenda of their own, and that we clearly have a part to play in it. Thus far, most of the information that they have given us has been verified and authenticated, but just because they are telling us the truth doesn't mean that they are telling us the whole truth. It is clear the Cerberii know more than they're letting on, and they know that we know, so it stands to reason that they have several contingency plans for that ineluctable moment when we turn on each other.

Fortunately, our intelligence about the Cerberii as well as the galaxy are growing by leaps and bounds, and we can use this knowledge to our long term advantage. I'm sure some of our sisters and allies in the Scattering will find some of the information here very useful when we reestablish contact with them.

In any case, please have a look at these notes, Kas. They really are quite important, and you'll make Kelis mad =( if you don't.

* * *

><p>The Reapers<p>

The ancient machines, called "The Reapers" by the inhabitants of this galaxy, are an ancient gestalt intelligence of relatively immense power. According to Xeno intelligence, these machines have existed for more than a million standard years. These terrifying machines awaken every 20,000 to 50,000 years to "harvest" space-faring Xeno civilizations, "absorbing" their distinctiveness for some unknown purpose. Once the "harvest" is complete, all evidence of the Reaper's existence are removed, save for a few technological artifacts designed to help the emerging Xeno species of the next "cycle" follow an "Eezo"-dependent path of technological development that would inevitably make them vulnerable to the Reapers once their own cycle has reached its conclusion. This cyclical process of growth and destruction has happened numerous times before, leading to the destruction of numerous other Xenos species in the past.

Unfortunately, identifying the rationale behind this cyclical harvesting is next to impossible in our present situation. It's tempting to compare these Reapers with our own experiences in the Butlerian Jihad, but we must remember that these machines were created by Xenos, not humans and any explanations that we make will likely be colored by our own historical circumstances with the ancient Jihad.

My team and I have formulated several theories about the Reapers based on several clues, but I'm afraid that I have nothing solid to give you at the moment. What we do know, however, is that the Reapers were originally created by an extremely powerful race known as the Leviathans. Presently, we know very little about these species, aside from the fact that they were extremely old, and that they had powers that would give pause to some of the more powerful factions in the Scattering. Hopefully, that artefact you and Stravan retrieved from "Aras" should offer some insight about this species... assuming the Cerberii are telling the truth about the device, of course. I will add additional data to the relevant sections once we have examined the artefact for extensive study, but for now, it's sufficient to say that the Reapers are the single biggest non-human threat to our agenda in this galaxy.

So far, our "fleet's" weapon systems have proven to be more than effective at destroying the machines. Long range fold-space targeting of atomics-grade warheads has proven to be quite effective against individual Reaper vessels, while the Normandy's weaponized Foldspace-based weaponry and Las-beams should be sufficient to destroy even the toughest Reaper vessels.

Nevertheless, we must avoid an open pitched battle with these machines at all costs. Long range analysis of active Reaper ships as well as destroyed debris indicate relatively sophisticated technology. If our scans are correct then the technology these machines possess are almost as good as some of the Ixian offshoots.

I'll leave Ashla and the mentats to explain to you the finer details about the Machines, but for now, it is sufficient to say that they are not to be underestimated. Despite our initial successes, open conflict with these Reapers will definitely end in our destruction. Many powerful factions in the Scattering can destroy the Reapers without breaking a sweat, but we are not those factions. The Mentats and our "Sardaukar" are not meant for this kind of conflict

We can also safely assume that the Machines know about our existence by now, though as to what extent remains a mystery. Even now, they seek us. Our No-Fields can conceal us, yes, but you and I both know that this situation will change eventually, and when it does, we must be ready to choose the best course of action for the Sisterhood.

(This is for your eyes only Kasia. I fear that the Machines may inspire feelings of wrath among some of our people. Even in the Scattering, the echoes of the Butlerian Jihad still resonate loudly, and I'm sure you've noticed how some of the Sardaukar are muttering, calling for a "Crusade" to wipe out the abominations. I don't like it at all, sister. These Reapers remind us of things that are buried deep in the human psyche.)

* * *

><p>Indoctrination<p>

From what we can tell, Indoctrination seems to be an energy field of some sort, which subverts organic tissues. This energy broadcast subtly influences organic material within range, manipulating at a molecular level. Metat Shu Qian believes that Indoctrination is a two step process that begins with the transmission of a very sophisticated signal that acts as a mutagen in order to alter the biological DNA of the target organism. Once the organism's DNA has been altered, a second broadcast is sent; this time designed to interfere with the brain signals of its target, rendering the target vulnerable to Reaper control.

This is all conjecture, I'm afraid.

We don't know much about this field at the moment, but the Mentat Doctors and I agree that Indoctrination seems to share certain similarities with T-Probes(1), but with slightly different features and applications. This is just a hypothesis, of course, but if this technology is similar to T-Probes and Ixian Probes then we may be able to find a way to combat it... But we need more information.

We have formulated several countermeasures for our crew, and it's worth mentioning that the Cerberii have even shared a little information about this Indoctrination technology (though we both know that they're hiding a lot more). Hopefully, these countermeasures will be enough to counter the Machine's primary mode of subversion, but there's no doubt that we need to adapt our combat doctrines quickly if we are to survive here.

* * *

><p>The Citadel Council<p>

The original Out-Freyn(2) Xeno civilizations of this galaxy consisted of a loose confederacy of several Xeno states. This confederacy was essentially a multispecies hegemonic alliance, and prior to the Reaper incursion ruled most of explored space of this galaxy. The ruling body of this "Council" consisted of three major Xeno states, namely:

The Turian Hierarchy – Which provided the bulk of the military

The Asari Republics – Which seemed to function as negotiators and diplomats

The Salarian Union – Which provided most of the technicians, scientists and researchers

It was a nice little tripod civilization, Kas, much like the Old Imperium, minus the Feudalism and the Great Convention, so we know that the politics in this "Citadel" could only have been so very very extra super stable. Ha!

Associate member species of the Citadel Council included the alien species known as the Volus, the Hanar, the Drell, the Elcor and the Raloi (small fries apparently). Non-affiliated members included the Quarians, the Batarians, the Vorcha and the Krogans. Based on what we know about these species prior to the Reaper incursion, the whole Citadel Council was basically just one big clique.

Most of the information about the Xeno civilizations can be found throughout most of the manual, so I will refrain from repeating myself here. Intelligence on Pre-Reaper Citadel territorial boundaries, military assets, culture, politics, histories and languages are attached on Files: 87AHZ-OP, 92XTA-PW and 19FGY-GW (They're quite a handful Kas).

Prior to the Reaper invasion, politics and foreign relations between the Xeno inhabitants of this galaxy could best be described as interdependent. Everyone had their niche, and the entire galactic civilization was basically an intricate network of interdepence forces. Stable, yes. Durable, no. The Xeno states of the Citadel socially as well as politically inflexible, fragile even – with an overdependence on technology and state bureaucracy that would have made the most pre-Butlerian technophile blush. Needless to say, when the Reapers appeared, they ruthlessly targeted these vulnerabilities to reduce a considerable portion of the Citadel's military capabilitiues.

Shortly after the Battle of the Crucible, the Citadel races were forced to "consolidate" everything they had left just to survive, hiding away what's left of their populations and military assets in hidden facilities both on and off planet. What's left of the Citadel's space assets are now being used to harry and weaken the Reapers using Guerilla as well as Hit and Run tactics.

Their situation is desperate.

I've looked at the figures, these aliens are already dead, so an alliance with the locals would scarcely serve our interests. I've talked to the Mentats about the Reapers and the Council. They estimate an 84.3% probability that the Reapers will defeat the remnants of the Citadel species in the next 5 years, and completely exterminate what's left of their population in the next decade.

In the mean time, though, they are quite useful in distracting the attention of the machines from our own activities.

* * *

><p>Element Zero<p>

Element Zero is an interesting substance. Its social function is reminiscent to that of Spice for the Old Imperium. Element Zero or Eezo, as the Xenos call it, is a substance which allows for the manipulation of mass through the use of electrical currents. Forgive me for my lack of details here, sister, but it's best that one of the tech mentats explain the finer details of this substance to you. For now, it is enough for me to simply state that "Eezo" was and is still vital for Citadel civilization.

What I can tell you, however, is that the "Reapers" seem to intentionally leave behind Eezo-based technology after each cycle, diverting technological development among the Xeno civilizations in this galaxy towards a particular path. Although we are yet to determine the rationale behind the Cycles of Extermination, my mentat colleagues and I agree that the reason why the Machines leave behind Eezo-based technology is to make each succeeding cycle of Xeno Civilizations more vulnerable to their own technology, thus allowing for swift military victories with relatively little casualties. Why any infant species would not regard such "gifts" with suspicion is beyond me, but then again they're Xenos, so we can only guess.

Another fascinating fact about Element Zero is that it apparently creates a phenomenon known as Biotics. It seems that when organic infants are exposed to the substance in very large quantities, they are able to create a "Biotic" field which allows them to remotely move, damage or destroy solid objects. We have very little information about this phenomenon at the moment, but I'll let you know when I have more.

(Some of the Mentats recently combined Eezo with a little Melange. I liked it. Metallic, but with the ever expanding rush of Spice. You should try some when you get back.)

* * *

><p>The Crucible<p>

Unfortunately, we know very little about this "Crucible" except that it was a powerful superweapon of some kind. It was constructed shortly after the arrival of the Reapers to this galaxy, and was activated several years ago during the so-called "Battle of the Crucible." We are still working on finding out how this device was constructed, but we've not have much luck so far. What we do know, however, is that the Crucible was vital to the Citadel Council's war effort against the Reaper incursion. I suppose it was their Ace in the Hole, to use an ancient Terran phrase.

What we do know was that the rampage of these Reapers was momentarily halted with the activation of the Crucible. We don't have a lot of details at the moment, but from what we've managed to piece together, the Crucible unleashed a powerful galaxy spanning energy field which either destroyed or disabled a very significant portion of the Reaper Fleet.

Why it did not wipe out all of the Reapers, we can only guess at this point, but this event greatly disrupted their onslaught, allowing all remaining Citadel military assets to regroup and retreat, hiding most of their surviving populations in underground facilities known as "Sanctuaries." Since then, the remnants of the Citadel fleets have consolidated all their military forces into the "Combined Fleets" to better increase their strategic capabilities.

It's also worth mentioning that the deployment of the Crucible was led by a "Turian," one "Garrus Vakarian." Our prescients are still consulting their visions for additional information about this Xeno, but it is quite clear that he is revered by the remaining Xenos of this galaxy. We don't know if the Cerberii know about this Garrus Vakarian, but if they do, they're not sharing what they know.

I have tasked Jester and our Prescients to learn more about the Crucible, but I wouldn't hold my breath, just yet.

* * *

><p>The Leviathans<p>

Thank Kelis for this one, Kas. She's the one who did most of the work on these. Most of our information about the Leviathans come from the Cerberii. How they came upon this information, we can only guess, but what is certain is that they know a lot. It's even possible that it was the Leviathans and their relics that attracted the Cerberii to this galaxy, and if this is the case, then that's a big clue as to what their true agenda are.

Apparently, the Leviathans are very old, and appears to be the original progenitors of the ancient Machines. Why they created these machines we can only guess, but what is certain is that the Reapers eventually turned on their creators and exterminated them.

I would like to add a few more notes, but all I can tell you at this point is that they were big, powerful and apparently they looked like a gigantic version of the Caladan Cuttlefish. The Cerberii know something that they're not sharing, and that alone is a clue. I know you have some spies aboard their ship Kas, so you might want to tell them to prioritize on this particular matter.

* * *

><p>Weapon Systems<p>

I'm not a weapons expert, but Ashla wanted me to add this bit of information. Most of the armaments used by the Citadel races can essentially be described as extra-high velocity projectiles. Most small-arms, for example, can fire ammunition that's equivalent to a grain of sand, at near relativistic speeds. Atomic analogues, energy weapons as well as biological weapons are also available, but these are rare and scarcely used either by the Reapers or the Xenos themselves. Most of the weapons used here - both small arms and ship-based - are high velocity projectiles.

Analysis of all weapons-data also indicate that even the antique Holtzman effect shield can withstand most of their projectiles, and from what we've seen on the field, this is true. So most of the Xeno's conventional weapons are no match to our own, assuming they don't find ways to nullify our advantage.

As for the Reapers, analysis about their defensive and offensive capabilities can be found on File 21ASZ-ON. Most of the content deals with particle weapons, projectiles, armor plating, etc... Boring stuff really. However, what's really impressive is the the information on how the Reapers create "Husks" is really quite interesting, almost as interesting as their indoctrination technology. I know quite a few people in the Scattering who would kill to learn about this technology.

Finally, Ashla and Kelis have also written a few notes for you, so you might as well go read theirs as well, "Mama Supeeeeryoooor." What can we say? We enjoy making you waste your time with endless reading material. It's just one of the perks of being a subordinate.

May Chenoeh watch over you, Sister.

R.M. Kharin Al-Chakwas

* * *

><p>PS<p>

Your son has been consulting his prescience again, and this time it looks like he's seen something that's made him uneasy. Very uneasy, in fact. You better have a talk with that fool boy of yours.

Speaking of prescience, there's something that concerns me. Kasia, those of us who have prescient genes, we've all seen the machines in our visions, but I fear that there is more to this than we suspect. I've talked to Javid Anderson, and he shares some of my unease. Even some of the weaker prescients among us are seeing a nexus(3) forming. A nexus! Please hurry back safely, sister.

* * *

><p>PPS<p>

I just heard about your husband's damaged Synth Trout Armor. I have no clear proof yet, but that was no accident. I believe someone has tampered with the Synth Trout Colonies inside the Brazil. It could be the Cerberii, but it could also be one of the other Mentats, possibly one who wishes to take power from Stravan and thus weaken our influence over the Mentats. (You know who.)

Someone wants your husband dead, Kas, or the whole thing may be feint. So keep a close eye on your hubby. Kelis, Ashla and I will do what we can until you return.

* * *

><p>PPPS<p>

This Ridulian Memory Core message also contains a special moisture capsule, and it has been spraying you with a customized Futar pheromone that I personally developed (with a little help from a few Tielaxu samples, of course).

The pheromone is designed to have no distinct smell on its own, which is why you haven't detected it (Only a Bene Gesserit can fool another Bene Gesserit after all). However, it will slowly take effect after several minutes.

So you should be experiencing the effects right about... now!

Enjoy smelling like a Futar(4) for the next three days. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

* * *

><p>1 – (Taken from the Dune Wiki) T-Probes are designed to read the Genetic Memory of the subject. It can also build a 'digital framework' of the person which can be subjected to stimuli, and will respond as the person would. The T-Probe also causes massive, virtually unendurable pain in a living subject.<p>

2 - Galach for "immediately foreign," that is: not of your immediate community, not of the select.

3 – In Dune, a Nexus is basically a point in time where a large accumulation of choices need to be made. As a result, a Nexus clouds the power of most prescients due to its chaotic nature, effectively preventing them from seeing the future beyond the range of the Nexus.

4 - Futars were a genetic human/feline hybrid created by members of the Bene Tleilax


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry Commander Tsoni, but humanity lost its homeworld a long, long time ago, in a galaxy long forgotten. So we can't really tell you much about it. The conservative estimate is that the human home world was destroyed 40,000 years ago, countless millenia after we achieved space flight, while the wilder theories say that it was destroyed a million years ago after eons of war and strife. No one really knows at this point... except perhaps the Bene Gesserit, but I would advice not asking them your questions. The witches usually give answers that cause more harm than good.

As for humanity's age, we are also not sure. Even genetic analysis fails to give us a clear answer as to how old our species – if you can still call it that - actually is. After the Scattering, we can't even remember which galaxy or universe we came from. So we cannot tell you much about what we were, for they are but faint memories to us now.

We can only tell you what we have become... We are like the Great Void... Every Good, Every Evil, Any God, Any Devil.

- High Bashar Javid Anderson to Commander Liara Tsoni

* * *

><p>Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of humanity is there evolution. From what little we know about them, we can safely assume that they are an ancient race, much older than the Protheans themselves(1).<p>

However, it's not their age that originally concerned the Citadel diplomatic corps, but their evolutionary diversity. Various human sources have confirmed that as the species spread beyond the confines of their home galaxy, the event known as The Scattering, it triggered rapid evolutionary changes and mutations among the exiles, causing multiple human factions to diverge from the original human genepool.

The full extent of these changes are unknown to us, at present, but when I asked one of the "Be-ne Gess'rith" about this issue, she merely laughed, then told me, "Imagine, Doctor Tsoni, an Infinite Universe – An Infinite Universe with all its wonders and horrors... Now, imagine your species adapting to it over several generations, in suffering and in triumph; changing to thrive in a Universe where only the Strongest Survive, and where even Gods fear to tread."

"Remember, Doctor, that the Machines that you name the Reapers dwell beyond the limits of your galaxy. Imagine what else dwells in that pitiless darkness. Now, imagine your species changing, transforming to thrive _there_. That is what we have become."

The "Reverend Mother" then laughed, made some comment about flatulence, and left. If I were a superstitious person, I would almost think that she had put a hex on me, for her words disturbed me and my Salarian colleagues for many nights.

Liara Tsoni, Notes and Commentaries on _Humanity's Golden Path_

* * *

><p>The tiny human fleet that entered this galaxy consists of three ships, the No-Ship, Brazil, commanded by the Mentat Lord Stravan Hackett; the Star Folder, Normandy, commanded by Lord Burseg Faradan Shepard; and the Bioship of the Cerberii. Of all the three ships, it was the Bioship that would later earn the greatest awe among the Out-Freyn Xeno inhabitants of the Citadel, for it was a ship made out of synthetic flesh and steel.<p>

Its name was "Bioship." It had no other name. There are others like it, of course, among the Scattering, but here, in this galaxy, it was the only one of its kind. Though smaller than the two other ships in the human exploration fleet, it was still quite massive by this galaxy's standards. The vessel was around 10 km long, and unlike most human ships which were either shaped like cylinders, cubes, diamonds or sphere, its shape was that of an exotic looking fish, covered with glowing spires of energy.

Most of the ship's hull consists of Ridulian Crystal based alloys, but fused with an unknown techno-organic substance of vaguely Tielaxu origin. Like the No Ship and the Star Folder, The Bioship also had its own Ixian No Globe, a stealth device designed to synthesize a mechanical mimesis field that renders the vessel invisible to both conventional detection devices as well as the powers of prescience.

The secrets of the Bioship, its offensive and defensive capabilities, its engines, life support systems and production capabilities, are all carefully guarded secrets by the Cerberii who control it. Even the number of crew members and assault troops inside the vessel are unknown to their allies in the Brazil and the Normandy (which goes to show how much they trust each other). Even most of the Cerberii crew know all of the strange secrets of their enigmatic vessel. Only their leader, The Illusive One, along with a few trusted lieutenants, know the full secrets of the ship.

* * *

><p>The dark haired, elegant woman entered the inner sanctum of the Illusive One with all of the grace and elegance of a woman in her position. She was, after all, the captain of the Bioship, and she was fully aware of all the power and dangers which went along with her position. Her name was Marandi Lawson, and she attained her rank among the Cerberii through intelligence, espionage and ruthlessness.<p>

Marandi was accompanied by a small cloaked figure, its entire face and body concealed by its apparel. Both the woman and her small companion walked through dark hallways, guarded not by frail guards of flesh and bone, but by secret cameras and traps filled with poisons and all manner of weaponry to eliminate the uninvited. This passageway was forbidden to all but the most senior members of the Cerberii, for it is well known that the Mentats and the Sardaukar, their "allies," are eager to know their secrets, and have posted numerous spies in the Bioship, just as the Cerberii posted spies on theirs.

After what seemed like hours of walking, the pair finally reached their destination, a nondescript passageway which led to other passageways, one of which led to the inner chambers of the Illusive One.

"Stay here until I summon you. Be patient. I know this is all very disconcerting, but you will do fine," Marandi said to her companion, who nodded quietly and took up a spot right next to the passageway. "Stay here until I call for you. Be sure not reveal your face. There may be spies even here."

Marandi smiled warmly again, a smile that almost concealed her true nature: Killer.

Marandi then walked alone through the passageway and prepared herself for her inevitable meeting with the Illusive One. Her thoughts pondered the plans and strategems of the Sardaukar, the Mentats and, most important of all, the Witches. Their alliance with the other human factions was done out of expediency and was ordered by the Illusive One as part of his own plans. What those plans are, he did not care to share with her at the moment, but Marandi knew better than to ask.

For now, she was content to know that the Cerberii were one step ahead of their so-called allies. A good example of this is how neither the Witches nor the Mentats can figure out the true origins of the Cerberii; where they came from or which Old Imperium faction they were originally branched off of. Her presence and position as The Bioship's Captain, for example, had always troubled her Sardaukar and Mentat allies on the other ships, for they had always assumed that the Cerberii were a Tielaxu offshoot, and the Tielaxu are notorious for turning their women into Axolotl Tanks, basically incubation chambers for their twisted experiments. The fact that Lawson was obviously not an Axolotl Tank disrupted their theory about the actual origins of the Cerberii. Lawson, however, cared little about such rumors, especially now that they were one step closer in achieving their plans here in _this_ Galaxy.

Marandi put away such thoughts once she reached the inner doors to the Illusive One's sanctum. She knocked in a secret pattern and immediately the doors opened. She pondered how she would greet her superior, but she was spared from having to worry about such niceties.

"I take it you have news, Captain," the Illusive One said almost impatiently, immediately signalling to Marandi that he was not in the mood for idle chatter.

"Yes, I just received a message from the Normandy. The Brazil has found the relic, and the Mentats are on their way back," Marandi Lawson said. She stood in front of the Illusive Man, in one of the Bioship's inner chambers, sealed off from the rest of the ship by intricate passageways and hidden doors. The entire area was concealed by shadows; vague smells that could be poisons permeated the area, while the dry hum of heretical ancient machinery could be heard in the dark background.

The creature which dwelt in this elusive place was called The Illusive One, a once nameless human who through Ixian technology or Tielaxu biology, or perhaps even both, had renounced his human form to become one with his Bioship, a process that involved grafting his flesh into the very same biomechanical circuitry which made up most of his ship's hull. His state was not unlike that of the Guild Navigators of old, a creature of prescience, trapped in eternal symbiosis with his ship.

Most of The Illusive One's body was concealed by the room's gloomy darkness, his full features made vague and difficult to discern. However, should light be unleashed in this dark place, it will reveal to human eyes the grotesque image of a spider like creature, with mucus like membranes charged with dull looking balls of light that seemed to crawl like slugs upon the Illusive One's tendrils and dessicated limbs, climbing away into other fleshy areas of its domicile.

There many other Illusive Ones, hidden away among the Scattering, each with their own plans and secrets, serving the greater goals of the Cerberii in an infinity of worlds, galaxies and universes. But here in this Galaxy, this particular Illusive One is, for all intents and purposes, _The Illusive One, _the only one of its kind, just like its ship.

When the Illusive One, still hidden in the shadows, did not respond, Marandi coughed a bit to demand his acknowledgement. Within the shadows, the Illusive One simply smiled. _She always was impatient, _he thought.

"Thank You for taking the time to bring me the news personally, Lady Lawson," he said. He already heard about the news, of course, but having Marandi give him the news personally was always a good thing. It meant that she was still loyal. "Tell me, did they encounter any problems in retrieving the Leviathan artefact?"

"Overall, nothing, Lord... The Face Dancer, Kasumi, managed to locate it easily enough. I heard she was even impressed by the intelligence that we gave her" Marandi paused for her superior to comment, but the silence only lengthened. So she was forced to continue.

"However," Marandi hesitated, and picked her next words with care. "The Brazil's Artificial Gravity Well caused... a problem." Again, she paused.

"Get to the point woman! I am not one to punish people for saying the truth." The Illusive One said in rebukingly.

Marandi tried to organize her thoughts carefully and sought the most expedient words for her Lord. "The Machines... They detected the Brazil's Gravity Well, and they sent a strike force to investigate the Brazil's presence in the Star System. The goods news though is that the Machines did not find the Brazil, nor did they impede the mission."

"However, they did find the underground Xeno refugee colony in Aras..." The swirling energies that circled the Illusive One became darker for a brief moment as she said her words. "... and the Brazil intervened to save some of the Xenos."

Contrary to what Marandi had expected, the Illusive One did not fly into a terrible rage. Instead, he became silent and ponderous. Even Marandi who had been breed and born to serve the Cerberii know very little about the true nature of Illusive Ones. These creatures were a mystery even to their own people, and she was correct to be concerned about her skin.

"That's... interesting..." The Illusive One said, and then went back to ponderous silence.

Marandi looked at her Lord for a few more minutes, wondering if she should say something or if there's something that she is expected to say. She was fairly sure that he would fly into a rage, which she had seen often enough before, but the Illusive One didn't move an inch. He only remained in quiet repose. "What could this mean?" She asked at last.

The Illusive One closed his eyes, mainly to calm his thoughts. "It's a faint. The witches are planning to use the Xenos to cause chaos amongst their own people and to compromise our plans, or at least what they believe to be our plans."

"Lord?"

"Oh, Lady Captain. I'm disappointed in you. Don't you see? The Witches have been planning this for a long time. The Aras incident simply gave them the perfect opportunity to put their plan into action. We know for a fact that our beloved allies do not trust us, and the Witches wish to exacerbate this situation to their own advantage." The Illusive One saw that Lawson did not understand, so he took a different tactic.

"The Xenos that they have rescued offers several interesting opportunities for them. On the surface, it allows the Witches to finally interact with the _indigenous inhabitants_ of this galaxy... under their own terms. However, this change of events also offers them the chance to confirm some of their own suspicions about our agenda... and also about _this galaxy. _The Xenos will inevitably provide them with clues that will lead them to dangerous secrets... knowledge that we have purposely concealed from them since we invited them to this galaxy.

"The Machines..." Marandi said, following the path of his thoughts.

"Yes, the Reapers, and the Leviathans, and once the witches know the full story behind these ancient beings, they will inevitably learn our own secrets. They already know that we are hiding a lot of information about the Reapers, and now they have the opportunity to expand their knowledge base. It's only a matter of time before the Witches piece together the missing pieces and uncover why we are here, and what we came to do."

"And should the Xenos prove uncooperative?"

The Illusive One chuckled in response. "You and I both know how ruthless the Bene Gesserit actually are, but do not concern yourself. I am sure the Witches... and maybe the Mentats too... will be more than capable of manipulating their new _guests. _Aside from the Reapers, I'm sure that our stalwart allies are eagerly seeking other trails of information_._"

"Information about the Citadel?"

"Yes, also about the Asari, the Salarians, the Turians and all of the other primitives in this galaxy."

Marandi narrowed her eyes and pondered the importance of his words. She could not understand why the Illusive One was treating this whole matter like a joke. "If what you say is true then we must eliminate the Xenos before the Witches learn more. The information can be quite dangerous."

"No!" The Illusive One said forcefully. "No, Marandi. Let the Witches toy with the Xenos. It will keep them occupied, and we need to keep them occupied, and their new guests will do just that."

Marandi shook her head, unconvinced. "And what if they contact the remnants of the Citadel."

"The Citadel Races are irrelevant at this point. There's very little that they can do to help the Witches, the Mentats or the Sardaukar."

"But they can still help the Xenos," Marandi retorted.

Her response gave him pause. "Yes. Yes, they can, but that will not change anything."

"So what would you have me do?"

"At the moment, nothing. We will go on with business as usual. However, Lady Lawson you take every action necessary to accelerate our time table. It is clear to me now that the Witches suspect that we are after something, and they know that we are running out of time."

"Do you think they suspect our true motives?"

"Oh, I'm sure the Reverend Mothers suspect a lot of things, but we are still several steps ahead of them. _The Xenos,_" The Illusive One spoke that word in an almost snarl-like way, "are ultimately an attempt to slow us down, to make us panic and perhaps even to distract us, as they undertake their other plots. Plots within plots, my dear."

"Will it work?" Marandi asked. This time it was a challenge, and she regretted immediately that the words came from her mouth.

"It doesn't matter. The Witches don't even understand why we want the Leviathan artifact... or why we invited them, along with their Mentat toys and _Sardaukar_ dogs, here."

Marandi considered this thoughtfully. She was not convinced and decided to change the topic immediately. "What about the Catalyst? Will they learn about the Catalyst through this relic?"

"It's possible," The Illusive One answered, "though it will take time before they will fully understand what the Catalyst actually is, and its connection to the Reapers. In the meantime, we must hurry our plans. Are the Rachni ready?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Good. They will prove quite useful later on. Be sure to double security on the Queen and the latest batch. Same with the Krogan Axolotl Tanks."

"I have already done so, Lord. Gene-mod progression is already 52% complete. We will soon be able to field our new arsenal."

"Good. We will need as many weapons as we can get when we return to the Scattering."

"Now, let us discuss the other pressing issue. Bring him in."

"Yes, Lord," Marandi turned and summoned her cloaked companion into the room.

* * *

><p>The cloaked figure removed his hood to reveal a young looking Turian boy of indeterminate young age. He was a very short for his age, and his limbs and hump more delicate than most young Turian boys.<p>

He looked around at his surroundings, and at the grotesque monstrosity that now loomed over him. He was scared, not only of his surroundings, but also of the ominous memories which seemed to be buried deep within him. The fact that he was obviously not of the same species as the crew of this gargantuan ship did not bother him at all.

Marandi had assured him that he was very important to the Cerberii... and this knowledge helped to calm his fears.

Nevertheless, the Turian's clawed hands shook involuntarily and it filled him with shame. Marandi had trained him to be strong, to be calm in the face of danger, and here he was being nervous in front of his mistress.

"Do not be afraid Ghola," Marandi said to him, smiling. "You are in the presence of the Illusive One. He is as much your friend as I am. Come closer."

The Young Turian bristled at being called "Ghola." He did not know what the word meant, only that it was a term of some kind, and that it was also his name.

Ghola looked around nervously at his surroundings. The techno-organic nature of the gigantic Bioship had always intimidated him, but it seems that most of his fears were encapsulated in this very room, and in front of the very creature that he now faced.

Without warning, the Illusive One spoke, "How goes his training?"

"Very well, milord," Marandi said, "Little Ghola is quite smart... _despite his species._"

Marandi had personally trained Ghola as her own student, starting from the time when he first emerged from the Axolotl Tank, about two to three cycles ago. She taught him all about Turian history, about the war with the Reapers and of the Citadel Civilizations. Ghola was a good student, and he grew attached to Marandi, just as a young creature attaches itself to a parental figure, but no matter how much he grew close to his mentor, Ghola could not forget the horrors of the Axolotl Tank which gave him life, nor could he blot out the nightmarish vessel where he now dwelt.

_The Axolotl Tank... That thing was like a nightmare. I hope I never see that thing ever again, _Young Ghola thought as he waited patiently.

"Good. Very good. Let him come closer."

Marandi nudged Gholar closer to the Illusive One's shadowy silhouette, and he awkwardly complied.

"Greetings, Little Ghola. We have not yet restored your memories, and some of my Gene masters still have doubts it will work on _one who is not human_, but I am confident that you will live through the process." The Illusive One said, not wasting time on pleasantries.

"Hush now. We have ample time for words later," he said as Ghola was about to say his well-rehearsed greeting. "For now, you must take the first step to restoring your memories." The Illusive One looked at Marandi who stood patiently behind Ghola, before turning his eyes back to the young Turian boy.

"Before you were simply a Ghola, the first Turian Ghola to be sure, but still a Ghola. Today, I return to you the name that you have lost after your noble sacrifice for the survival of your people." The Illusive One peered closer at the Ghola.

"Welcome back Garrus Vakarian, Archangel, Hero of the Citadel, Bane of the Reapers..."

* * *

><p>"Jim!"<p>

"What?"

"Jim"

"What?"

"Jiiiim"

"Dammit Al, What? What do you want?"

"You hear that?"

"Yes, I can hear that. It's coming from that damn Machine you shoved in our cargo bay. What about it?"

"I think... I think it's trying to control our minds?"

"Now, whatever gave you that idea?"

"You feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"That! Every time it makes that loud noise. It emits that electromagnetic burst."

"I don't feel anyth... Huh... Well, that's... interesting. That almost reminds of T-Probes."

"I know, right? These Machines seem to have the ability to remotely manipulate brain waves. Cool, huh?"

"_Cool_ isn't the term, I would use, Al, but yes, that is interesting."

"What do you think created these Machines, Jim?"

"How should I know? All I know is, that these _things _can lead us to _Lucy"_

"Will you stop you using that stupid nickname?"

"No, because naming our creations _The Illusive One_ is fucking retarded."

"Hey, it was a good idea at that time."

"It was a Dildo idea."

"You're Dildos. I wish I was back with Marty and Daniel. You're a dick... Dildos. You're a dick dildo."

"Charming. Can we please get back to the issue at hand here?"

"Yeah, sure. Dildos."

"How many of them did we get?"

"You mean the Machines?"

"No, the magical fluffy bears. Of course, I'm talking about the Machines, Al."

"Well! I never! I'm going to tell Marty and Daniel about your behavior when we get back."

"You know what? I don't even care. Just tell me how we did with the machines."

"If you must know we got three of them, including the one in the cargo bay. The rest escaped, probably back to their home galaxy."

"Please tell me you remembered to put trackers on them."

"Yes, Jim. I remembered to put trackers on them. So I would appreciate it if you'd stop talking down to me."

"I'm not talking down to you, Al. It's just that we spent so much time and effort tracking down our rogue Cerberii that I'm really really frustrated right now."

"Oh, Jim. I'm sorry. I guess I really do get carried away when I goof around."

"I'm sorry too. I guess I was being a bit of Dildo myself. It's just that I'm really frustrated with that renegade _Bioship_. We've been pursuing them from one galaxy to another for Tyrant knows how long. This is beginning to piss me off."

"Don't worry, Jim. If what we've learned from these machines are correct then our prodigal Cerberii have taken shelter in the Machine's home galaxy... and once we've arrived, we'll drag his sorry ass back to Daniel and Marty, and then you can take all your frustrations out on that little shit."

"I hope you're right, Al, because I'm getting really tired pursuing them... What do you think their home galaxy is like? There aren't a lot of humans around here. Really off the beaten _golden_ path."

"Probably primitive if you ask me... Dammit! Why won't that thing won't stop making that annoying sound? Hey shut up already!"

"Awww. Come on. It's actually kinda cute. It really thinks it can mind control us."

"Cute? I just find it annoying."

"What do you suppose we'll find in that galaxy?"

"Who cares. I just want to get the damn Cerberii and go home."

"Likewise."

* * *

><p>1. According to the Dune Encyclopedia, Human Spacefaring Civilization is between 30,000 to 50,000 years old. However, in the actual Dune books, Humanity is implied to be much, much older than that, so old in fact, the most humans can't even remember the name of their own homeworld.<p>

Although I will use some information from the Dune Encyclopedia, I will not be using the timeline. Instead, I will go with the implicit assumption on Dune that Humanity is very ancient.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Al and Jim belong to the same enigmatic faction that "Marty" and "Daniel" belonged to, at the end of Chapterhouse Dune. Since I'm not using the Brian Herbert and K.J. Anderson novels, they will not be revealed to be top kek ancient machines.<p>

Also, Al and Jim's names are based on two video game characters, which are surprisingly similar to facedancers. I'll give you a few clues. They absorb personas. They were originally designed as biological weapons. They are "post-humans." They are extremely dangerous and "amoral." Remind you of anyone?

Winner gets an imaginary Nazi unicorn.

I know that most of the POV has been on the humies, but the next chapter will feature the Xenos.

We'll Bang Ok?


	5. Chapter 5

Just to be clear, Kevin J Anderson and Brian Herbert's works will not be used on this fic. Only the original Dune novels by Frank Herbert will be used, and maybe the Dune Encyclopedia. So no, Al and Jim are not machines, and in this fic, Omnius and Erasmus have never even existed. Only Marty and Daniel.

As for the Xenophobia, calling aliens "Xenos" may be considered Xenophobia I suppose, but 1. The humans don't really know what to call the aliens (This is a first contact scenario after all) and 2. It's just a term. No malice is intended. The aliens are just _outsiders _as far as humans are concerned.

Also, keep in mind that the humans in this fic are not members of the Systems Alliance. The SA doesn't even exist here. I replaced them with extra-galactic humans with a very **non-western** culture, and make no mistake, by Western standards, most non-western cultures can be described as very "Xenophobic."

However, I wouldn't use the term Xenophobic to describe Dune humans. Instead, it's better to describe Dune humans as _tribalistic, _which is how most of them behave even amongst other humans. Remember that the Fremen in the Dune series are based on Arabic culture, and they were portrayed as having a very tribal orientation. _We take care of our own._

Finally, remember that in the Scattering, there is no fixed state system. Humans are now high-tech nomadic space barbarians, and how do nomads and stateless peoples behave? They behave tribally. So there's your answer.

* * *

><p>Where are they?<p>

Where is the Power of the Protheans?

Where are the Armies of the Inusannon?

Where are the Fleets of the Oravores?

Where are the Warriors of the Thoi'han?

Where are the Lords of the Zeiophs, the Kings of the Zha'til?

Where are the Warlike Ditakur, or the Pretentious Synril?

So answer me, where are they?

They are gone.

They have had their aeons of glory, their time in the sun.

Their banners had flown, their fleets had traversed the stars, their armies had marched through a hundred worlds.

But now?

They are gone. Their banners have burned, their fleets lost, the bones of their armies are no more.

They have had their time, and now it is done.

They had been destroyed by the Reapers, the Devouring Machines. Their legacy is gone, save for the hushed whispers of the stars.

But what of us?

What of us?

We are Humans.

We are not Inusannon or Oravores or Protheans.

We are not Ditakur or Synril or Thoi'han.

We are Humans.

A millennia for you is a great expanse of time. For us a short chapter in our history.

Aeons ago, before you knew the stars, we were already old.

Our Golden Path has existed long before your kind were born.

And we shall continue long after you are all gone.

- The Illusive One Speaking to "Ghola" Garrus Vakarian (1)

* * *

><p><em>"Tell me about the skies of your Homeworld, Tevura..." a strange male voice asked, half menacing, half erotic. <em>

_Tevura Tsoni, daughter of Liara Tsoni and Garrus Vakarian could not answer. She could only scream out in horror, for Thessia burned. Her skies were colored red and grey, and they smelled of rotting flesh and shattered machines. Thessia's daughters had been devoured by the Reapers. Her memory lost. Her legacy and pride brought low. _

_Tevura felt this; felt the darkness in the depths of her soul. Thessia burned, just as Palaven, Surkesh, Tuchanka, Rannoch and all the other home worlds burned to ash and flame. This had happened long ago. She only heard of it from others, but it had happened long ago. _

_And yet... Here she was witnessing the bloodbath that had happened. Was this a dream, or was the future a dream? Tevura couldn't tell. It felt so real._

_She then saw the Crucible activate, and inside it was her father Garrus Vakarian. She saw the great weapon as it slaughtered many of the Reapers, a weapon of desperation, but a potent one nevertheless. She saw the great machines fall down like chaff... _

_But not enough. _

_The Crucible was half finished when it was activated and it didn't exterminate the machine completely, and even now there were still more than enough of them left to exterminate all life in the Galaxy. _

_"Hello Tevura," her father greeted her. She wondered at this, for he took on the form of a young Turian boy._

_"Dad?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Why are you a child?"_

_"Oh that... Well, the Cerberii... you see they..." The rest of his words were muffled and incomprehensible. He spoke for a long time and with some weariness. Tevura wanted to hear his words, but could not hear anything, just vague whispers, as if he was far away._

_Garrus was soon replaced with a vision of her mother, weeping as others wept. They were huddled in pathetic little bunkers, clutching each other as the inevitable doom approached. _

_"I am the hope of both organics and synthetics... You cannot escape me," a powerful voice proclaimed, a being of energy and light. She tried to peer into it but all she could see was oblivion. The darkness gripped her, devoured even her dreams. The screams of hundreds of fallen alien races murmured pleas in the depths of the void. _

_Tevura screamed to the goddess for Salvation, to Athame, to her ancestor-mothers, to alien gods and even to demons, but they did not answer, and she was left with Reapers, the pitiless machines staring at her pathetic form, with monstrous eyes and voices that pierced her mind. _

_"Tell me about the skies of your Homeworld, Tevura..." the voice asked again._

_The Reapers were then replaced by something else, an Asaroid-like being. Male? Perhaps. It stared down at her broken body, buried among the ruins of the Aras Sanctuary. Behind the creature stood others like it. They stared at her like pitiless shadows, their eyes blue in blue. They terrified her, but they also bore a strange attraction. _

_They spoke in a strange ancient tongue, older than the Protheans. Their eyes stared into her, willing her to share her secrets. Tevura resisted, but she failed, and soon they were inside her mind, her thoughts... _

_But she was also inside theirs..._

_And she saw a great golden river of light floating across universes and galaxies. These creatures, these aliens with blue in blue eyes and terrible powers flowed in this river. They were eternal and endless, and she saw the miracles that existed beyond time and space. She saw their visions and their dreams, and she saw their power..._

_"That is the Golden Path, Tevura... Do not be afraid. Take my hand..."_

_But Tevura could not... and the darkness devoured her._

_"Tell me about the skies of your Homeworld, Tevura..." _

* * *

><p>And then Tevura awoke...<p>

"Well now... It looks like the Warrior Princess is awake at last," said a female Turian voice. "For someone who's supposed to be half-dead, you sure make a lot of noise in your sleep."

"Nyreen...?"

"Yeah kid. Welcome back. You okay?"

Tevura got up, shook her head and stared at the face she thought she'd never see again. Nyreen was an old Turian warrior, but at the moment she looked like shit. Her arm was heavily bandaged by some unknown material, and her face bore the signs of stress and fatigue. Nyreen had been a soldier, a gang leader and a merc prior to the Reaper war. Rumor had it that she even knew the late Aria T'Loak, and at one point, had even been a Turian warlord in the Terminus Systems.

During the fading days of the Citadel, when the Reapers had begun their purge of the galaxy, she and her band of pirates and mercs had joined up with the rest of the Galaxy to fight the Reapers. They fought as irregulars, as scouts and as infantry... To no avail.

Years of blood and sacrificed followed in the wake of her decision. After the failure of the Crucible to eliminate all of the Reapers, Nyreen along with various irregular combat units were either turned into marines or as security forces for the recently built Sanctuaries, deep underground bunkers that acted as glorified refugee camps to house the millions of refugees retreating from the worlds that had already been devastated by Reaper attack.

No one wanted to say it, but the Sanctuaries were an admission of defeat. They were holes in the ground in obscure, barely explored planets, meant to hide what was left of the Citadel's once massive galactic population. Nyreen didn't like her posting. She was a warrior, after all and not a baby sitter, but she accepted was given to her, and over time she got used to her new role. She even became somewhat of an authority figure for most of the Sanctuaries inhabitants, including Tevura.

When Tevura's shock had worn off, she realized that she was no longer in the Aras Sanctuary, but on a small cot in some unidentified structure. It took her a few more minutes to realize that she was no longer even in Aras. The building was a pre-fabricated barracks of some kind, and _it was definitely alien_. The walls were lined with some kind of crystal-like material, nothing at all similar to any of the materials the Citadel used.

She lay on the lower bed of a double bunk, one among many, arranged in neat little rows with lockers and cabinets not far away. The temperature of the room was fairly cool, but not cold. Tevura was going to say something, but the shock of her new surroundings kept her from forming a coherent sentence. The only thing that she could do was to hug Nyreen tightly.

"You're alive!" Tevura said in a half-sob, her voice filled with surprise and relief. Nyreen had been like a mother to her, and many other children actually. The Aras Sanctuary was full of refugee children whose parents were either dead or who had opted to stay behind to fight the Reapers.

"You're alive," she repeated, as if fearful that she was dreaming. During the initial hours of the Reaper attack on Aras, Tevura saw the Sanctuary command post overwhelmed by hordes of Husks, killing off most of the command structure before they could warn the rest of the Sanctuary of the attack.

Nyreen had been in the command post. It was chaos.

Tevura remembered her shock when she, along with the rest of the security force, stared in horror at the devastation that the Husks had unleashed on their home. The scorched flesh, the terrible sounds of Reaper indoctrination, the lights and screams, the agony and fear. Memories of the battle went through her mind like a blur. Friends and family, beloved for decades, dead in an instant. Then she remembered the tunnel, of being buried under rubble, of her friends screaming her name and the hulks being cut down like so many toy soldiers.

Aras. What had happened to Aras? She suddenly remembered the twisted bodies of friends, of family, of little children. Little purple colored Susa – she and her parents didn't reach the escape ships in time. Loud mouthed Keraph, the 3 year old Salarian, who always bragged about how his father's cousin's friend personally knew the late Mordin Solus. Eager little Merala, a beautiful little Elcor if ever there was one – torn in half by Reaper swarms. Kalo, the little Hanar who wanted to be just like Blasto, the famous Hanar spectre from the vids. Tevura remembered how the invading armies had destroyed her home – the home that she hated so much until she lost it.

Sensing her questions as well as the chaos within her mind, Nyreen answered her unspoken question, "I was buried in the rubble during the attack, just like you. The husks left me for dead... Thankfully, _our friends _rescued me, and so here I am."

Tevura smiled, tried to say something but couldn't find the right words. She just stared at Nyreen.

"Well? Say something."

Tevura shook her head, and for a moment, she almost looked like Liara, her mother. "I... I'm just glad you're alive, Nyreen." And she hugged her again even harder.

"You too kid. You too. Though I have to say that you had us scared for awhile too."

"What?"

"You were pretty messed up when the aliens found you, but the spirits decided they didn't want you to ascend to the heavens just yet."

"Heh. Yeah well, I'm a pretty tough bitch," Tevura answered with her old cocky self, but she paused for a moment and something Nyreen said sparked memories of the attack on Aras. "_Aliens?_"

"Yeah, the aliens," Nyreen said with some humor. "If I didn't know better I'd say they were related to you."

"This isn't funny, Ny."

"Who's trying to be funny? They really do look like the intergalactic cousins of the Asari."

She remembered what she saw in the tunnels, but it was all a blur. "I didn't get a good look at them. So you'll have to let me in on the joke."

"Huh? Well, your loss then. Some of the other Asari really do seem to like the aliens. Maybe once you're all healed you can go join them at trying to seduce our captors"

"That's nice Nyreen. Poke fun at the girl with the broken leg. How about you tell me more about the aliens?"

"Heh. Well, at least your sense of humor is back," Nyreen said. "There's not much to say really. The aliens evacuated those of us who couldn't get off the planet, gave us food and medical care, and then shoved us here. At least, that's what the others said. I was as fucked over as you were when they got us off Aras. We're currently inside one of their ships. Spirits! This thing is even bigger than the Citadel."

Tevura shook her head, and she focused on the situation critically. She was impatient, and wanted to know as much about the new situation as possible, but she also knew better than to ask whatever questions entered her mind. _Be patient. Focus on the important things first._ "How many of us did they save?"

"213. Mostly those of us who stayed behind to cover the evacuating ships... And before you ask," Nyreen held up a clawed hand to silence her questions. "Most of our people left Aras' orbit. If the spirits are generous, they'll be able to link up with a Citadel fleet."

Tevura's face hardened and she asked, "How many didn't make it?"

Nyreen sighed and considered lying to her, but her Turian sense of honor quickly quashed the desire. "About a quarter didn't make it. The Reapers were using stealth countermeasures." Nyreen's own face then became as grim as Tevura's.

"Goddess." The Aras Sanctuary held about 15,300 refugees. When the Reapers first attacked Aras, most of those refugees left the planet's orbit via evacuation ships armed with optimized stealth fields. The possibility of a Reaper attack had been anticipated early on in the construction of the Sanctuary, but there was no such thing as a perfect plan.

A quarter of failed evacuation attempts meant that 3,000 souls had perished attempting to escape the slaughter, with the rest given no assurances of survival.

"Don't think too much about it, kid. That's just the way things are."

Tevura looked at her, wishing she had something to say. Instead, she could only tighten her jaw.

"Come on. You've been asleep for too long. It will do you good to talk to the others."

* * *

><p>As Tevura left the barracks, what greeted her outside overpowered her senses. They were in a relatively large area, even bigger than most of the living areas in their Sanctuary at Aras. It was about the size of a large park. There were other small housing buildings spread around the area, mostly barracks structures similar to the one she came out of. It was spacious with ample lighting, and its shape was that of a perfect cube. The walls, ceiling and floor were made from some kind of exotic metal that she had never encountered before – grey but with a strange luminosity – almost like crystals.<p>

However, it was not the area that awed her. It was the artificial environment. The place was an extremely sophisticated greenhouse of some kind, with all kinds of plants and greenery. Fruit bearing trees and shrubs were all over the place and there were even a few alien insects hiding among the shrubs here and there, but no animals. The lighting and temperature were also very good, better than anything she'd had in the Sanctuary. Tevura didn't know what to make of the situation, but she was certainly overwhelmed.

The greenhouse was nothing like anything she'd ever heard of, and she wondered what it was doing inside a star ship. _It could be for oxygen production. _Tevura curled her toes on the grass underneath her feet, reveled in its feel, and soon remembered that she was wearing a simple white long robe (clearly given to them by the aliens), just like Nyreen. She felt odd not having her hardsuit, but it was a tolerable situation.

High above were strange little objects that seemed to her like giant security cameras. As they tracked her movement, she came to the conclusion – _Yep, definitely cameras. _

The way the entire space was constructed, however, she imagined that it used to be a storage area of some kind. For what, she was not entirely sure of though. It was just that their new temporary home did not feel like a proper prison. There was simply something off about it, like it was meant to do other things other than confine things or people in.

This would have felt like a cramped little refugee camp with around 200 beings inhabiting it, but the area was simply quite large. _Is this a cargo ship or maybe a Luxury Liner? A luxury liner? Really Tev, what's wrong with you?_

Tevura was awoken from her ruminations by the joyous calls of her friends.

"Tev! Tev!" Vero, her best friend, called out, and Tevura saw the Quarian run up to her along with her friends from the surviving Aras security force. She wore a simple purple suit, but she was tall for a Quarian and her voice was kind, gentle even. "Keelah! You look good! Nothing at all like the mess we dug out in the tunnels."

"Vero! I'm glad to see you alive," Tevura said as she hugged her. They exchanged simple banter, and the kind of hugs that close friends share after decades of parting. And after them, the rest of the team crowded around Tevura, greeting her and being happy that she was alive.

"Wux. You're looking good," Tevura said to a hulking, but soft-spoken young Krogan.

"Tev." Tevura waited for more words, but Wux only nodded and allowed the others to greet her.

"Good to see you alive you flat little bitch," said an older Asari maiden, her hips and breasts larger than Tevura's, and she had a way of standing that could provoke irritation even from a Hanar.

"You too Kalos," Tevura said. "Although I'm surprise you didn't try to fuck the Reapers to death during the battle."

"Heh, those rust buckets couldn't handle me, Flattie." Kalos was a loudmouth Asari with a reputation for having a good aim and a loose _virtue. _She was also _one of those types of Asari._

"Well, I'm just glad to see you alive... though you seem to have put on weight since the attack."

"Heh. Not as much as you, Flattie."

"Children! Let's leave the jokes for later, okay?" warned Nyreen with her serious voice "Right now, I'm sure everyone's just glad that Tev isn't dead."

Tevura shut her mouth immediately, a little bit embarrassed at the situation, as the rest of her team, mostly Asari and Turians, closed in to wish her well.

"H-h-he-hello, T-Tev," stammered a young Turian boy, about a head shorter than her. He was the last one to greet her. "I'm glad to see y-you okay."

"Heh, you too Fail," Tevura poked his forehead with a warm smile and the young Turian boy backed away, embarrassed and stuttering to himself. "And thanks for saving my fat blue ass back on Aras." She then gave him a hug, which only caused him to stutter harder.

His name was Faelus, nicknamed Fail, and not only was he the rookie, he was also the squad fool. Too short, too shy, too frail. Everyone was sure that he'd die in the first wave, but to everyone's surprise the little stuttering Turian boy actually did pretty well during the invasion.

The other refugees, clustered together in groups of three to seven, looked on as the team had their reunion. They knew better than to interrupt, but they waved to Tevura with warm smiles and companionship for a fellow survivor of death and doom.

Tevura waved back to them, but the the reunion happened like a blur. She was back from the dead, and she couldn't believe that she was on an alien ship. One moment dying on an abandoned planet, and now she and her friends were having their very own first contact scenario. It was enough to give a girl a headache.

* * *

><p>When they have had their joyous reunion, Vero told Tevura everything that she had missed during her rest. It turned out that only a few days had passed since the fall of Aras, but despite their misfortune, most of them seemed to be more than happy to have survived. The survivors of Aras were not soldiers, nor were they diplomats, politicians or scientists. They were kids - most of them anyway - and in a situation, like this, they didn't really know how to react to their situation.<p>

In general, most felt relief at being saved, but on the other hand, they also had mixed feelings about their timely rescue by the aliens. Most were, of course, naturally scared. They were in a strange ship, crewed by a strange alien race that, if their theories are correct, came from beyond the limits of the galaxy.

Vero and Nyreen told Tevura all of this under bright artificial light and the gentle touch of the grass, with Wux, Kalos and a few others making a comment or two here and there. They all wore the same white robe she wore, and they seemed strangely happy. Despite their unusual situation, they were still alive, and that counted for something.

However, Tevura wanted to go back to beginning, to Aras. She wanted to know precisely how many made it out to the evacuation ships, how many died and how many were unaccounted for. The humans saved 213 refugees from a total of 15,300. She wanted to know what happened to the rest. So everyone gave her their own accounts, both the messy and the ambiguous.

Everyone knew why she did this. She needed to talk. They all needed this. Talking makes them stop thinking, about what happened and what will happen next.

"It wasn't your fault Tev. It was no one's fault," Vero said, her voice heavy with sadness after Tevura settled down and got used to the situation.

"No, it was the Reapers fault, and I swear by the Goddess that I will make them pay," Tevura hissed.

"A lot of people say that these days, kid," Nyreen added.

"Yeah well, I'm Garrus Vakarian's daughter... and I have these idiots to back me up," she jabbed a thumb at her friends. Nyreen rolled her eyes, but kept quiet.

"Yeah, but first we'll have to deal with the humans," said Wux, breaking his silence, at the back of the crowd. Wux doesn't say much but when he does, it's always with a very deliberate purpose, and in this case, he seemed to want Tevura to remember the situation.

"The what?"

"The aliens – They call themselves humans. Can you believe it?" Faelus interjected, breaking his silence too now that Wux gave him the precedence, then added in a fanciful voice, like those seen on old Salarian science fiction movies. "Wooo... The Humans from the Pla-net HUUUUUME."

"That's a stupid name for a planet," retorted Wux.

"Well, why do they call themselves human then huh?" Everyone just raised their eyebrows at him. Clearly, his companions had no taste in good jokes. "I'll just be quiet now."

"The humans..." Vero explaied, "are the name of the aliens who saved us. Oh they're quite incredible Tev. They look very Asari-like..."

"Galactic Space Cousins," said Nyreen offhandedly, which caused Tevura to smirk at her in annoyance.

Now, that the cat was out of the bag, the topic of the conversation turned to the humans. Vero did most of the talking, with Nyreen and Wux giving some helpful details and Kalos making a few lewd comments. Fealus cracked a couple of lame jokes but everyone chuckled respectfully.

"So humans... Giant ship. Saved a bunch of us from the Reapers," and she would have added _but couldn't be bothered to save everyone else._ "What else do I need to know? Aside from the fact that we seem to be in some Horny Maiden's idea of a Sci-fi movie."

"Oh, what are you whinning about? The Quarians kinda look like us, the Drell too. Sorta," retorted Kalos. "So what if these humans look like they came out of a poorly imagined science fiction romance drama. They saved our hides... Saved by hot aliens from beyond the galaxy, and their beautiful alien prince will wed me, and I shall become Kalos, Asari warrior princess."

"Your sense of humor sucks, Kal."

"Keep up that attitude missy and you're not going to make a good impression on the humies."

"Uh, really, Kal? Way to play into the stereotypical horny Asari role," said Tevura.

"More for me then."

"Uh! You were saying Vero?" Tevura said to the female Quarian, who then continued her exposition about the humans along with some of her own observations. According to Vero, they only had a brief encounter with their rescuers on Aras, when they saved them. After they were brought to this holding area, however, they've had seen a lot of the humans for past few days.

The humans would enter their holding area from a hidden entrance in the ceiling, while standing on floating suspensor platforms. They would just float around in a small area, letting the refugees get a good look at them before leaving. They never initiated contact, and they always left very quickly. It was clear that they were trying to help the refugees get used to their appearance before they do initiate contact. With their motives for revealing themselves clear, the refugees became a little more relaxed with their routines.

No doubt the humans are now pondering what to do with their captives, and this made the refugees more than a little edgy. Still, it was an interesting experience, and considering the circumstances, Vero and the others had observed a lot of interesting things about the aliens.

The humans, as they called themselves, were creatures of contradictions. On the one hand, they were utterly alien. Most of the refugees had observed their fighting prowess on Aras, how they attacked husks and swarms in melee – _MELEE!_ _Who attacks Husks in melee?_ - using weapons so exotic that they required a different military doctrine – monomolecular bladed weapons that could cut through the hardest metal, shields that could withstand the particle beams. And their speed! No organic being had ever been seen to move like them.

On the other hand, they resembled the Asari in body and facial structure, but instead of blue skin the humans had strange tan or pale or pinkish flesh with soft (and some Asari maidens would argue attractive) furs on their heads. They also had colorful eyes: Blue within Blue, Green within Green, and some Blue, Green, Brown, Grey and Black against White Sclera.

Vero's words, however, were interrupted, by some commotion. The refugees were rushing towards a particular area.

"What's going on?" asked Nyreen.

"The humans! The humans are here!" A Batarian said.

"Like on the suspensors?"

"No, they're on foot. I think they want to make contact with us!"

"About damn time too," added a Salarian.

Vero, Kalos, Faelus and Wux followed the others to the now growing crowd of refugees at the far end of the area from where they were having their talk.

"Well kid," Nyreen said to Tevura. "Looks like you woke up just in time.

* * *

><p>The human delegation was small and consisted of about a dozen individuals. About half of them looked to be like soldiers, grim faced warriors who wore heavy plate armor, while the other half wore sombre robes of grey and black. They almost all seemed to be male, with the exception of a female who wore a long and elaborate black robe. The female was dark haired with tan skin, and she looked at them with a mixture of curious intelligence and knowing wisdom... as well as twisted humor.<p>

The refugees regarded the delegation with curiosity even as they kept their distance. When a young Elcor attempted to walk up to the humans, Nyreen, who was the defacto leader, held her back, and told her to be patient. Both groups knew that this was a delicate situation, but even so, the excitement was palpable. The Aras refugees chattered amongst each other excitedly in front of the aliens, an act that would have horrified the Citadel diplomatic corp had they been present.

"Look! That one has golden fur! Almost like molten sunrise. I wish I could touch it, just to feel what it's like," an Asari maiden had giggled to her companions.

"And that one! Look she has those bright blue in blue eyes, like an exotic Varren. How silly they look," her young Batarian companion chuckled. The refugees chuckled among themselves like this, observing the humans with unbridled curiosity, just as the humans – mostly Mentats and Sardaukar – observed them.

"I wonder why they look like that... so Asari-like I mean," another Asari maiden wondered.

"Really? They sort of look like Batarians to me," the same Batarian female said, "though with 2 less eyes of course. But observe the shape of their arms..."

"So... These are the humans. I think I shall have one or two," giggled another hormone addicted Asari maiden.

"Annoyance and Amusement. Can you not think about sex at a time like this?" complained their Elcor friend.

Of course, not all of them looked at the humans as curiosities. A good number also remembered their technology, mostly the potency of their weapons and how they managed to destroy one of the Reapers that had attacked their Sanctuary at Aras... and how they are another potential threat to Galactic life.

"... With their help, we could finally defeat the Repears," a Drell said to his companion as he eyed the human delegation carefully.

"What makes you think these creatures are our allies? It's equally possible that they are the scouts for a much larger invasion force, an invasion force that also wants to wipe us out," a Turian refugee said.

"Agree. Situation premature. Require further data to ascertain 'human' intentions and goals," a Salarian had added. "Technology, however, remains interesting. Very interesting..."

"Well, let's say that they do want to invade the galaxy. They haven't killed us yet. That's certainly worth something. Surely, that proves that they are not worse than the Reapers."

Now, that the humans seemed ready to talk, all of the questions that the refugees had came bubbling up at the forefront of their thoughts. _Where did they come from? Why did they come here? Why did they save us? Will they help the Citadel? Why did they come to Aras? Are they fighting the Reapers? Are they friend or foe?_

* * *

><p>The humans were very patient. They allowed the aliens several moments to get used to their presence before making their move. The refugees were clearly irritated at the waiting, but they knew the necessity. For both sides, the whole situation was like meeting an unknown and dangerous predatory animal, and such events require extreme caution. For even though, they've met the humans before, they've never actually <em>interacted or spoken <em>with them.

Up until this point, they were a mystery.

"Hey look. _Goldie_'s coming closer," Kalos called out to her friends, as one of the humans, apparently the leader left his party and approached the refugees. Kalos' descriptive name for him was rather apt, because of his reddish, golden hair.

"Goldie," the human who stood before them was resplendent in military pagentry. Tevura gasped in surprise when he was up close. The alien did look like an Asari – a male Asari with light tan skin and, she had to admit, _exotic _golden red fur on the top of its head. Tevura felt confused and more than a little wierded out. Some of the other Asari giggled when "Goldie" came into view, and quite a few other females as well, before giggling to each other about the exotic creature in the strange military uniform, pointing at him.

Goldie saluted the aliens, and not just Tevura's party particularly, with a clenched fist to the head, while the others behind him were content to simply observe. To their surprise, the human began speaking to them in heavily accented Havala, which had been one of the major languages of the Asari Republics, _back when Thessia was still under Asari control_.

"Welcome. I welcome all you. My name _Faradan Ibn-Corrino Al-Korsig Shepard, Lord Burseg of the Red Dragon Legion, Sardaukar in Exile, Lord Captain of the Normandy, Descendant of Harq Al Ada, Corrino Prince and Ghanima Atreides, Atreides Empress. _This ship. Brazil. Human ship. We sorry we no save others... From Aras... Your Friends Family, but too many. Danger to us and to other things. But we assu-" he chatted briefly to the woman behind him and nodded. "Yes, we assure you that we mean no harm. We not like machine. We no hurtings you. We saving-life you from machine. We ask trust, and you stay with us. For short time. Little time. Then we return to people – your people. Please excuse poor language speakings. Just start learning Asari a few days ago. Thank You."

The Aras refugees looked at each other, a thousand questions exploding into their minds, but at this very moment, they were simply speechless. Each one wanted someone else to ask the first question, to make the first move, so that he or she could voice her own question. The aliens had made their move, and it was now their turn, but they were all too scared, cautious and wise to take the leap. They wanted someone else to take their lead.

And someone did.

"Um, hi. A... Are you really aliens?" The extremely retarded question came from a Turian boy. Everyone looked to Faelus who carefully lowered his claws. "I... I just want to c-confirm."

_Goldie_/Faradan turned to the female and asked her to Translate the Turian's words.

"Yes," Faradan answered.

"Okay," Faelus nodded.

Now, that the first stone had been cast, the rest of the refugees were now more willing to ask a few of their own, and where there had once been silence, there was now clamoring excitement.

_The questions ranged from wise..._

"Where are you from?"

"Why are you here?"

"Why did you save us?"

"Will you help us defeat the Reapers

_To the completely retarded..._

"You have tentacles, don't you? Don't lie to me! Show me your tentacles!"

"Are you going to probe us? You're going to probe us aren't you? I knew it! You sick monsters!"

"If you're going to probe us, can I go first? I'm really into that. Oww! What?"

One Asari even shouted, "Hey! Your kinda cute!"

This lack of discipline would have horrified the Citadel Council's diplomatic corps, but most of the refugees were kids, kids who just had their homes blown up, and their families and friends killed or lost. And here they were thrust into an adventure with Asari-like aliens. Many of them did not really understand their situation, of course, and quite a few preferred to pretend that they were in an exciting adventure.

Tevura felt like she was in the set of a cheap science fiction, but even she was swept up by the situation. She then felt Nyreen's clawed hand grip her arm.

"Relax kid. Relax. We're making history today," she said smiling to Tevura.

Soon the rest of the human delegations came forward, and soon they were speaking with the refugees of the Aras Sanctuary. Tevura felt overwhelmed at the situation. Only a few hours after waking up, and she was meeting with extra-galactic aliens.

But something else entered Tevura's mind as she watched the humans, a memory of a dream. She remembered the words very clearly, but couldn't quite understand what they mean.

_"Tell me about the skies of your Homeworld, Tevura..." _

* * *

><p>1 - Almost forgot to add this brief note. This particular quote comes from an fictional story called: The Revival of Rhomaion: An Age of Miracles by Basileus 444.<strong><br>**

The original words were:

"Where are they?

Where are the Kings of the Goths?  
>Where are the Khans of the Huns, the Khagans of the Avars?<br>Where are the Lords of the Bulgars, the Chiefs of the Cumans?  
>Where are the Caliphs of Baghdad, the Shahs of the Persians?<br>Where are the Doges of Venice, the Sultans of Konya?

So answer me, where are they?

They are gone.  
>They have had their hour of glory, their time in the sun.<br>Their banners have flown, their tents pitched, their armies covering the countryside.  
>But now?<p>

They are gone. Their banners have burned, their tents crumpled, the bones of their armies littering the countryside.  
>They have had their time, and now it is done.<br>But what of us?

What of us?

We are Romans.

We are not Goths or Huns or Avars.  
>We are not Bulgars or Cumans or Venetians.<br>We are Romans.

A century for you is a great expanse of time. For us a short chapter in our history.

A thousand years ago, before you knew letters or God, we were already old.  
>Before you were even born, we were already here.<p>

And we shall be here long after you are gone."

AN: The Aras Sanctuary is not the only one of its kind. There are other Sanctuaries scattered all over the galaxy, and they aren't so much attempts to repopulate the dwindling population of the aliens in the ME galaxy as they are desperate attempts to save as many civilian refugees as possible. It's not a good plan nor is it even a smart one, but it's the only one the Citadel has left, and they have no choice but to take it.

Remember that in this story, the Citadel's main forces are already in full retreat. Retreating fleets and armies cannot take care of refugees. They needed to store their non-combatants somewhere, and that somewhere were the Sanctuaries.

The Sanctuary idea was actually based on the Prothean idea of cryogenically freezing their best and brightest in the hope that they will be able to survive until the next cycle, hidden away inside underground bunkers. The same idea applies to the Sanctuaries in this story. Imagine the vaults in fallout. It's kind of like that, except without the experiments.


End file.
